Bailly uplifted by PSG challenge

by Staff Reporter

Tuesday Feb 12, 2019. 15:00

Manchester United defender Eric Bertrand Bailly has welcomed the challenge posed by Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.

The Red Devils play host to the French champions at Old Trafford this evening in a Round of 16 first-leg tie, before the reverse fixture in Paris at the start of next month.

United were clear underdogs when the draw was announced late last year, but an upturn in fortunes since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival - and injury to Neymar and Edinson Cavani - has more than evened the playing fields.

“It’s a huge motivation to have a match like PSG coming up on Tuesday,“ Bailly told the club's official website.

“It’s something that really gets your emotions going. It’s a really big deal, the knock-out stages of the Champions League. It’s the thing that motivates you more than anything else. The whole package; the music, the stadium, the fans, it’s something that gives you a lift.”

The Ivorian centre-back has featured in two Champions League games this season.