Skinner says United ‘belong’ as Malard rescues UCL draw
Manchester United manager Marc Skinner was proud of the fight his side showed in their 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.
Tabitha Chawinga opened the scoring for the French visitors in the 53rd minute when she was played through one-on-one and neatly flicked the ball beyond England No1 Mary Earps.
Melvine Malard came off the United bench to level with a close-range header with 20 minutes to play.
Fellow substitute Geyse provided an added spark for Skinner’s side, who pushed hard for a winner but were unable to find a way through the PSG defence, seeing the first leg end as a draw.
The United boss praised his side for the fight they showed to stay in the tie.
Speaking to MUTV, he said: “I was immensely proud. We let them get on top a bit in the first half, we felt like they had a different system, we made some adaptions.
“I am proud of the resilience in the first half and proud of the effort, commitment and quality in the second half.
“Geyse, you put her on and all of a sudden she is a focal point to pull their players all over the place.
“The level we have added is not just numbers but also quality and decision making. We have always been the best team but now we want to be the best individuals in the team as well.”
Manchester United boss Marc Skinner congratulated his players after the match
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United pushed Chelsea all the way to the final day of the Women’s Super League last season before falling just short but will be hoping to make it to the Champions League group stage this year.
Skinner believes that his side has what it takes to thrive at the top level.
He said: “We are building. I still think we have lots to improve on but I am really happy with our platform going into the second leg.
“They now have experience. Our team belongs at this level. This is a quarter-final of the competition with the quality of the opposition but unfortunately we have to play them at this level. I will learn a lot and the girls will learn a lot.”
United travel to Paris for the second leg on October 18.