Three things Solskjaer got right as Man Utd edge past AC Milan

Paul Pogba's goal early in the second-half saw Manchester United defeat AC Milan to progress into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The Frenchman has spent nearly six weeks on the sidelines with an injury, but replaced Marcus Rashford at half-time of the second leg.

He immediately injected life into what had been a blunt United attack and scored with a clever finish high into Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal from inside the box.

And though Milan pushed forward in the hopes of equalising, the United defence held firm, in large part thanks to goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Here are three things manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got right as United defeated their Italian opposition…

1. Avoiding the temptation to rotate

Luke Shaw has tended to be a prime candidate to be rotated out of the starting line-up in cup competitions this season, but Solskjaer opted leave him in at left back.

The defender has enjoyed an incredible season for the Red Devils, earning himself an England call-up for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

The decision to keep saw in the side was a good one, with the 25-year-old United’s best player in what was a poor first-half.

2. Trusting Henderson

With David de Gea away to attend the birth of his first child, Dean Henderson has enjoyed a spell in the United goal.

De Gea returned to United’s matchday squad for the first time since the end of February, but Henderson kept his place between the sticks.

And with United at risk going out if they conceded a goal, the decision to reward Henderson for his performances in recent weeks was the correct one.

He made a number of saves to protect United’s position in the tie, notably with 17 minutes remaining when he made a stunning reaction stop to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

3. Half-time switch

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    • United looked blunt going forward in the first-half, which stemmed from Solskjaer selection of a defensive-minded midfield pairing of Scott McTominay and Fred.

    Though the change may have been enforced, the United boss replaced Marcus Rashford with Paul Pogba at half-time.

    It was an inspired substitution, with the visitors markedly improved after the break as Pogba injected life into their attack.

    Though he has been out for six weeks, the Frenchman showed how vital he is to United and scored the winning goal five minutes into the second half.

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