Marcus Rashford's injury-time penalty sent Manchester United through to the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday, securing a 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain to overturn a two-goal deficit from the first leg.
Referee Damir Skomina awarded the penalty after a lengthy video review that showed defender Presnel Kimpembe jumping up to block Diogo Dalot's shot with his elbow. Rashford kept his nerve, blasting the ball past Gianluigi Buffon to send the United fans to his left into raptures.
As United's players sprinted to celebrate with their fans at the final whistle, Kimpembe lay flat on the ground for several moments as a stunned Parc des Princes crowd looked on in disbelief.
United had only a slim chance after losing 2-0 at home in the first leg of the last-16 match, with coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's task made even harder by the fact that 10 of his players were either injured or suspended. That included midfielder Paul Pogba, who was sent off at Old Trafford.
"Everything seemed to be against us, but we're used to that," Rashford said. "We showed what we're about today and got the result we needed."
But Solskjaer, who scored an injury-time winner when United won the tournament in 1999, oversaw more late drama 20 years later. It was the first time in Champions League history that a team lost the first leg at home by a two-goal margin and still went through.
United was handed an immediate lifeline when PSG gifted United striker Romelu Lukaku a second-minute opening goal, before equalizing through left back Juan Bernat in the 12th. He turned in a cross at the back post after Kylian Mbappe got behind United's static defense.
United scored from its first attack when Lukaku intercepted a back pass from Thilo Kehrer, rounded Buffon and slid the ball in from a tight angle.
Then, the hugely experienced Buffon spilled a low shot from Rashford and Lukaku turned in the rebound.
"We agreed that when Marcus steps out on the press that I would follow," Lukaku said. "I told him every time he shoots I'll follow the ball, and that's what happened."
Sensing Buffon's uncertainty, Rashford fired another shot just wide as United finished the first half strongly.
PSG's defense was having another one of its bad nights, a recurring theme during the knockout stages of a competition it has never won. Three years ago, PSG also made history by going out after winning 4-0 at home, then 6-1 away to Barcelona.
PSG played tentatively during the second half, knowing United needed only one goal to qualify on the away goals rule. PSG winger Angel Di Maria scored with a delightful clip over the advancing De Gea after being put though by Mbappe's clever flick in the 56th. But he was adjudged to have been offside when receiving the ball.
Mbappe remained PSG's biggest threat, and his pace took him clear through on goal with six minutes left only for the France star to stumble and for Bernat to smack the loose ball against the post.
United sat deep, waiting to hit PSG on the break. Lukaku had a chance to put Rashford clean through, but got the ball tangled in his feet. At the other end, Mbappe remained PSG's most dangerous player with his ability to get behind United's defense.
Porto knock Roma out with VAR penalty
A 117th minute penalty goal from Alex Nicolao Telles handed FC Porto a 3-1 win over AS Roma in a UEFA Champions League Last 16, second leg match at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday.
The result combined with Roma's 2-1 win at home in the first leg meant the aggregate score finished at 4-3 in favour of Porto and sees them into the quarterfinals of the competition. Alex Nicolao Telles should really have given Porto the lead ten minutes in when he latched onto a rebound inside the box, but fired his close range attempt inches wide of the post. The Portuguese side continued to push forward and came close to scoring again in the 21st minute when a long range shot from Jesus Manuel Corona shaved the wrong side of the crossbar. Five minutes later Porto finally found the back of the net when Moussa Marega dribbled his way into the box on the left and squared for Tiquinho Soares to tap home from a couple of yards out, 1-0 (2-2 on aggregate). After going a goal behind Roma seemed to wake and started playing some nice football which resulted in a penalty for the Italian side when Eder Militao committed a foul inside the box. Daniele De Rossi stepped up for Roma and levelled matters from the penalty spot in the 37th minute, 1-1 (2-3 on aggregate). The half ended all-square. Five minutes into the second half Soares should have put his side in the lead when he met an inch perfect cross into the box, but his header went narrowly over the crossbar from ten-yards out. Marega did give Porto the lead in the 52nd minute when he met a cross from Jesus Manuel Corona inside the box and produced a clinical finish to make it 2-1 (3-3 on aggregate). Porto had a chance to find a third goal on the night in the 77th minute when Yacine Brahimi found himself in space just inside the box, but his thunderous shout was superbly saved by the Roma keeper. Neither side could find the goal that would separate the match as it ended 2-1 after 90 minutes, which meant we moved into extra time as the aggregate score sat at 3-3. The best chance of extra time fell to Edin Dzeko in the 111th minute when he broke through on goal and chipped the onrushing Porto keeper, but his effort was cleared off the goal-line by a defender. Three minutes later Alessandro Florenzi committed a silly foul inside the box which saw a VAR decision from the referee result in him pointing to the penalty spot. Telles stepped up for Porto and converted from the spot to hand Porto a 3-1 win on the night and place in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.from The Malta Independent http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2019-03-06/football/UEFA-Champions-League-Manchester-United-stun-PSG-3-1-to-reach-quarterfinals-Porto-eliminate-Roma-6736204618
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