Marcus Rashford showed composure amid a Paris Saint-Germain meltdown as he converted an injury-time penalty to fire Manchester United through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
United were leading 2-1 on the night with minutes left on the clock and needed one more goal to go through on away goals, with the tie at 3-3 on aggregate.
United went to Paris with a crippling list of injuries: no Anthony Martial, no Juan Mata, no Paul Pogba, no Alexis Sanchez and the bench was littered with a handful of academy prospects.
Presnel Kimpembe was adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball against Man United
Up stepped Marcus Rashford to score a dramatic later winner for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team
PSG’s win at Old Trafford represented the only mark against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s report card since he took over as interim boss in December from Jose Mourinho.
It looked like while his side were winning on the night at the Parc des Princes, failings in the first leg would prove costly unless he could conjur up the late drama.
Many pointed to the 1999 treble-winning side, who clinched the Champions League in the most dramatic of circumstances in Barcelona after a stoppage-time winner from Solskjaer, as a team the current crop needed to channel in the French capital.
From Diogo Dalot’s ambitious shot to a head-in-hands moment for Presnel Kimpembe, here, Sportsmail takes you through a blow-by-blow account of how the final moments unfolded in Paris in what became a famous European night for United…
The shot from Dalot
At this point United need to throw caution to the wind because 2-1 up on the night is not enough, they are heading out.
Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot receives a cross-field pass from Rashford as he attacks the space in front of him before taking aim from 25 yards out.
His shot is ambitious and would need to be something special to beat Gianluigi Buffon, but the goalkeeper is unmoved as the shot is blocked by Kimpembe just inside the penalty area.
Diogo Dalot took aim at PSG’s goal from 25 yards in the knowledge United needed a goal
Striking the arm
PSG’s goal was under siege and they were putting bodies on the line to prevent a late collapse.
Kimpembe jumped and turned his back on Dalot’s shot, the ball catching him on the back of his lower arm.
His arm is raised slightly due to the motion of turning as he jumps but in his – and his team-mates – mind, it’s a corner ball.
The fizzing strike is blocked by the arm of Kimpembe as he turns his back on Dalot’s strike
The appeal
Dalot is the first to protest to referee Damir Skomina that the ball struck the arm of Kimpembe.
Young star Tahith Chong is less adamant but does follow Dalot’s lead claiming for a penalty.
Romelu Lukaku and Mason Greenwood’s snap reaction is to point to the corner flag to ensure it is their ball. PSG’s players are unmoved.
The Portuguese full-back appeals for handball but his team-mates seem unmoved initially
Tahith Chong (right of referee) joins protests while Mason Greenwood (right) claims a corner
Corner kick… or so they thought
Chong ambled over, ready to deliver the ball to a sea of pink Manchester United players who, at this stage, had flooded the box.
Skomina held out his hand ordering the delivery to wait for his whistle as he listened to instructions in his ear regarding the handball shout seconds earlier.
Dalot’s shot was taken at 89:09 and with 89:50 on the clock, Skomina points for a pitch-side review with the aid of a replay on the monitor. PSG’s players are stunned at the decision, one even sinking to his knees at the decision for a review.
Many believed the ball had been fairly blocked by Kimpembe and Chong went to take a corner
The referee was listening to instructions from the VAR team and soon called for a VAR review
Pitch-side review
This was the lifeline United needed, if it is awarded United know they are a spot-kick away from a famous turnaround having been given little to no chance before kick-off.
Skomina scampers off to the pitch-side monitor, near the halfway line, to check a replay of the shot.
He was out of the players way and tried to give himself thinking time as he assessed multiple angles of both Dalot’s effort and Kimpembe’s block.
The referee dashed to the pitch-side monitor so he could inform his decision with replays
Words with Solskjaer
The Manchester United bench, sensing the magnitude of this moment over the course of the tie, quickly edged closer to the monitor and Skomina in a bid to do their bit in convincing him it was handball.
Assistant boss Mike Phelan arrived and was followed by Solskjaer who was told in no uncertain terms to return to his dugout while he came to his decision.
At this stage, one minute 29 seconds had passed since Dalot’s strike had connected with Kimpembe’s arm.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had words with the referee as he continued to debate the handball call
Penalty given… head in hands for Kimpembe
Skomina was not to be rushed as the Parc des Princes was a cacophany of noise; home fans desperate to be given a reprieve and the buoyant away support sensing one of those famous European finales.
Finally, 130 seconds after Dalot’s strike at goal, the referee signalled a decision via VAR and pointed to the penalty spot.
PSG were stunned and for Kimpembe, a goal scorer in the first leg at Old Trafford, it was a head in hands moment as he knew he had likely cost his side a place in the tournament.
All Kimpembe could do was wait but he looked deflated at the thought of costing his team dear
When the penalty kick was awarded it was a head in hands moment for the young defender
PSG protests
Thomas Tuchel’s side were livid. Their place in the quarter-finals was hanging by a thread and captain Thiago Silva engaged in a furious debate pleading Kimpembe’s innocence.
But the decision was made. Silva, Kimpembe and Marco Verratti were not going to change the referee’s mind at this stage.
VAR had spoken and Manchester United had been awarded an injury-time penalty.
PSG refused to take the decision lightly as captain Thiago Silva remonstrated with the referee
Kimpembe’s defensive partner was told to accept the call and prepare for the penalty kick
Italian midfielder Marco Verratti had his head in his hands as well in a moment of huge drama
Rashford had picked up the ball while PSG continued to argue that the decision was wrong
Rashford gets message of support from Shaw
Emotions are sky high at this stage, never mind the nerves.
PSG are bordering on a meltdown and while Romelu Lukaku finds himself on a hat-trick, Rashford picks the ball up ready to take responsibility.
The pressure on the 21-year-old is absolutely immense. Miss and United go out, score and they are through.
Luke Shaw, amid the PSG protests with the referee, runs over to Rashford to give him what appears to be a message of support before he takes the penalty.
Luke Shaw raced over to Rashford for a calming message of support before the spot-kick
Both sets of players encroach – Fred in a tussle
Rashford appears ready, the ball was on the spot 205 seconds after Dalot’s shot and the drama finally looked set to end for the kick to be taken.
But United midfielder Fred took issue with PSG’s players encroaching in the area and he raced into the box to make his feelings known to three of the hosts’ stars.
At this point even Rashford must have felt the nerves. The wait for the penalty was more than three minutes long and it looked set to be the game’s defining moment.
Encroachment caused a flash point moments before Rashford took it with Fred in an argument
Converted and United are through
The striker had never previously taken a penalty for United since announcing himself in the first team under Louis van Gaal. Not that you would have known.
He powered a right-footed effort high into the top left and while Buffon went the right way, power got the better of him.
Rashford was mobbed by his team-mates as he raced to the away fans knowing United had completed a comeback even the team of ’99 would have been proud of.
Rashford, in what was his first United penalty, powerfully converted into the top left corner
United enjoyed wild celebrations while PSG were left deflated at another dramatic elimination