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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Jack Watson

Roma vs Porto LIVE: Stream, score, goals and latest updates from the Champions League

Roma appear vulnerable as they enter the last 16 of the Champions League nearly a year on from their incredible run to the semi-finals, where Liverpool finally eliminated them. 

Porto await, quietly confident of landing themselves a quarter-final spot with one of the easiest routes in living memory, having gone unbeaten in a group including Schalke, Lokomotiv Moscow and Galatasaray. 

The Giallorossi have one of the youngest, most talented sides around, including midfield revelation Nicolo Zaniolo, can they hold their composure at home to take a lead back to the Dragao? Follow it live:

  
Jack will be here shortly with all the build-up to Manchester United vs PSG and Roma vs Porto. In the meantime, here's Miguel Delaney with a brilliant piece on the journey of Angel Di Maria:
It's back!
 
The return of that music in February means it is the return of the Champions League, at long last, and time for the best teams in Europe to battle it out for the ultimate club glory.
 
The bandwagon has shown no sign of slowing down in the Premier League, but will he be able to carry that momentum into tonight's game against PSG?
 
Solksjaer's first team selection in the Champions League as Manchester United manager will be revealed in the next 15 minutes or so.
 
 
 
Inspired by the past
 
Manchester United certaainly have plenty of pedigree in Europe's premier competition, just ask their manager, but tonight is the chance to win their first Champions League knockout match since they beat Olympiacos in 2014.
 
BREAKING NEWS
Team news
 
Solskjaer keeps faith
 
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer makes five changes to the side that beat Fulham 3-0 on Saturday but has not shifted from the side that has brought him so much success.
 
Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof come in for Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. Ashley Young starts in place for Diogo Dalot, while Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford replace Romelu Lukaku and Juan Mata.
 
De Gea, Young, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Rashford.
 
PSG team
 
As expected, there's no Neymar, Edinson Cavani or Thomas Meunier, who all miss out through injury. Still a decent team, right?
 
Kehrer, Thiago Silva, Kimpembe, Bernat, Marquinhos, Verratti, Daniel Alves, Draxler, Di Maria, Mbappe
 
Tuchel: it's a 50-50 tie
 
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel believes that this last 16 tie is a 50-50 tie, although admits that Manchester United may have an edge tonight in their first ever competative meeting.
 

"Over 180 minutes I would say it's 50-50," Tuchel said. "Tomorrow, with them at home at Old Trafford whether it's 50-50 I'm not sure but we have a second leg in Paris where we are strong and comfortable.

"At this level it's the details. It could be a decision of a referee, a yellow or a red that can make the difference. It's a close game.

"They play with a lot of confidence, they score a lot of goals and get a lot of early leads," he said. "It's an impressive run. To play at Old Trafford in this moment against this Manchester United is one of the toughest challenges you can have."

Miguel Delaney: The Solskjaer effect could be even more potent in the Champions League

Solskjaer knows better than anyone the effect psychology can have on such ties, and how capricious the Champions League can be

VAR!
 
Everyone's favourite video assistant referee system VAR will be in use tonight for the first time ever in the Champions League, pinch yourself.
 
European referees have been rapidly training in the system in time to impliment it tonight mid-compteition. 
 
VAR will be used to check all goals, major incidents inside the area, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. The referee will point to his ear to show there is a check and the stadium board will show there is a check underway.
 
Martial confirms life is better under Solskjaer is a bit better than it was under Mourinho
 
"Perhaps it is easier to play this style of football and not the style of football [Mourinho] asked."
 
Just look at that smile!
 
 
Solskjaer: My team can beat anyone
 
The Manchester United manager, or the acting manager if you will, is not wavering in the confidence he is showing in his side.
 
“The squad is very capable of winning against any opponent,” he said on Monday. ”When we go into games confident as we are now, we are looking forward to the game but we can’t look too far ahead.
 
 
Roma vs Porto
 
We'll also have updates from the other Champions League game taking place this evening, Roma vs Porto.
 
Last year's semi-finalists qualified second in their group behind Real Madrid but were handed a fairly favourable draw against Porto.
 
Roma XI: Mirante; Florenzi, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov; Cristante, De Rossi, Pellegrini; Zaniolo, Dzeko, El Shaarawy.
 
Porto XI: Casillas; Militão, Felipe, Pepe, Telles; Danilo Pereira, Héctor Herrera, Otávio; Fernando, Brahimi, Tiquinho Soares.
 
Solskjaer explains his team selection

“We know Anthony’s quality going forward and hope he’s going to create chances for us from the left-hand side and show us what he can do. We have to be clinical, of course, and it’s important we get to Paris with a chance to go through,” Solskjaer told BT Sport.

“They’ve done well together in a few games," he said of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly's partnership in defence. "Of course, against [Kylian] Mbappe, they need to be on top of their game,” said Solskjaer.

Incrediballs
 
The Champions League ball for the knockout round is alright, isn't it.
 
Tuchel has won the dressing room
 
For PSG, winning the league is something of a formality and it is results in this competition where the manager will ultimately be judged.
 
PSG were close to going out when it looked like they might be losing to Napoli at home, but Owen Hargreaves says Thomas Tuchel has the dressing room behind him.
 
"He's doing better than a good job," he said on BT Sport. "They're missing two of their most important players, but this is a good tactical guy. He's also won the dressing room. He could spring a surprise today."
 
'53 days with smiles'
 
It seems that the media in Norway is firmly behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
 
Roma vs Porto
 

Roma head coach Eusebio Di Francesco says his side must not let Porto score what could be a vital away goal in tonight's first-leg.

"We have a great opportunity to produce a good performance and bring back some enthusiasm," said the 49-year-old.

"It's vital that we don't concede, although we can't allow that desire to compromise our identity and the way we want to play."

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao, meanwhile, returns to Stadio Olimpico having represented Lazio during his playing days.

"Obviously entering this stadium comes to memory the happy years and the many titles I have conquered in Lazio," he said. "It's always an emotion to come to Rome, but my focus is tomorrow's game.

"There is no special feeling for confronting Roma. There is a special feeling for having at the heart the symbol of FC Porto.

"Every day I feel a great pride in representing a club as big as ours."

600 words on the whistle please, Laurent
 
Former Manchester Unite defender turned France and PSG manager Laurent Blanc is making his way to his seat at Old Trafford. 
 
Stats!
 
 
 
 
The players have made their way onto he pitch, the Champions League anthem is blaring, and we're just minutes away from kick-off.
 
When this draw was made two months ago it was something of a hellish tie for United, but now the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revolution has made this into one of the most fascinating matches in the compeition. The game is full of quality attacking players and two teams that want to score goals, it's going to be great. Join us for all the action!
 
Before we begin, there will be a minute of silence for Emiliano Sala and Gordon Banks.
 

Follow all the updates from Rome above

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