Marc Skinner expressed his satisfaction in his gamers after Manchester United drew 1-1 with Paris St Germain the primary leg of their Champions League qualifying tie on a historic evening at Leigh Sports activities Village.
Making their European debut, United discovered themselves underneath appreciable strain from their opponents within the first half earlier than two-time Champions League finalists PSG took the lead 9 minutes into the second through Tabitha Chawinga’s end.
The hosts then responded impressively with substitutes to the fore and equalised through a Seventieth-minute header from certainly one of them, on-loan Lyon ahead Melvine Malard, who had additionally scored after approaching in final Friday’s 2-2 Girls’s Tremendous League draw with Arsenal on the similar venue.
Boss Skinner stated: “It was actually the cliche sport of two halves in my view.
“I feel the truth is the primary half, that’s the quickest we have now performed in opposition to, the very best depth. Even Arsenal, it was rather more intense than that.
“I feel it simply took our gamers to see it, really feel it, after which at half-time they fastened it. I’m so pleased with the resilience first half, as a result of they stayed within the sport, some actually good defending, after which second half I felt we had them on the ropes and we may have taken the sport.
“It did really feel like we may have received the sport. Ultimately it felt in all probability truthful as a draw.”
The second leg is in Paris subsequent Wednesday as the edges vie for a spot within the group stage.
Requested how assured he was about that match, Skinner stated: “I consider we are able to do it wherever, so I’m going to consider we are able to do it in Paris.
“I stated to ladies tonight we belong at this stage, I’ve little doubt about that.
“We’re a membership that’s historic within the males’s Champions League, and we haven’t had time to do this within the girls’s but, so we have now to earn it now. However we have now nice shoulders to face on from our males’s staff, and that’s what we have now to take into the second leg, that perception that we’re Manchester United and we are able to beat anyone.
All to play for subsequent week — sure, Reds! #MUFC || #MUWomen https://t.co/DCzcS8kses
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 10, 2023
“We’re going to go to Paris and consider we are able to win as a result of in case you don’t, there’s no level leaping on the aircraft.
“I really feel if we match their physicality, we’re the higher footballing staff. I wish to see us go there and don’t play with concern.”
Skinner additionally as soon as once more questioned the competitors’s format, as he had carried out within the build-up to the match.
Skinner stated: “If this isn’t nearly as good as a quarter-final is within the precise match, I don’t know what you’re going to get.
“I’m seeing groups which are going to play tomorrow, no disrespect, that we’d beat, they usually’re enjoying to get within the Champions League correct, and that for me is unusual.
“For me, it must be checked out. PSG have been in two finals, and but we’re enjoying them in a qualifying sport.
“The groups are able to increase. We’ve got 4 or 5 on this nation that would play within the Champions League. I feel it’s able to increase.”
The United-PSG contest is certainly one of 5 ties within the ‘league path’ of the second qualifying spherical, which additionally options two-time winners and final season’s runners-up Wolfsburg.
There are additionally seven ‘champions path’ ties involving sides who received their leagues in 2022-23.
WSL champions Chelsea are among the many automated qualifiers for the group stage, which options 16 groups throughout 4 swimming pools. Arsenal have been eradicated within the first qualifying spherical.
