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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Ed Malyon

PSG vs Manchester United: How VAR penalty led to a Marcus Rashford's dramatic Champions League winner

Manchester United completed a memorable comeback with an unforgettable passage of play when VAR intervened to hand them a stoppage-time winner at the Parc des Princes

Diogo Dalot's wild shot was deflected wide for a corner with seconds ticking down on the clock as United laboured to create an opening that would give them the tie-clinching goal they needed. 

But the video referee reviewed the incident and found Presnel Kimpembe's arm had deflected the ball wide, prompting the decision to be changed to a penalty. 

Marcus Rashford stepped up to thump home deep into stoppage time and send United through in barely believable circumstances. 

How did it get to that dramatic finale?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side gave the Parisians a scare from the outset, scoring inside two minutes through Romelu Lukaku, but the Premier League side still knew that they needed at least another goal after losing the first leg at Old Trafford 2-0.

That target became three goals when PSG asserted themselves on the match and got themselves level through Juan Bernat's equaliser, and the dominated the tie with an astounding 82 per cent possession throughout the opening 30 minutes.

But despite PSG's domination, United scored their second before half-time, eradicating PSG's away-goal advantage in the process.

Romelu Lukaku's second left United needing just one goal to dump out the Ligue 1 champions on home soil, but despite the contest proving to be wide-open throughout the first half, the goals dried up.

What happened injury time?

An injury-riddled United side struggled to generate chances in the second half and looked to be heading for a 3-2 last-16 defeat.

But Dalot - who came on for the struggling Eric Bailly in the first half, saw a long-range effort which looked to have no chance of beating an admittedly below-par Gianluigi Buffon cannon into Kimpembe's arm and disappear over the crossbar for a corner.

United players appealed for handball, and despite waving their appeals away, referee Damir Skomina suddenly halted the game after being consulted by the Video Assistant Referee. Skominar had to usher the PSG dug-out away from him while he reviewed the decision, but upon returning to the pitch, he signalled that the decision was overturned and pointed towards the penalty spot.

Marcus Rashford celebrates putting Manchester United into the quarter-finals (Getty)

England forward Rashford kept his cool to deliver the biggest moment in his club career and send United into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on away goals, while potentially securing Solskjaer's long-term future in the job in the process.

Never in Europe's premium club competition had a team progressed after a 2-0 home defeat but Rashford's stoppage-time penalty made sure Solskjaer's side advanced in the most dramatic fashion.

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