Paris Saint-Germain’s young sensation Kylian Mbappe has said Manchester United has a strong squad and it will be not easy for his side in the Last 16 Champions League clash.
PSG and United face each other in the first leg at Old Trafford on February 20 and then again in the return leg in Paris on March 6. United were a disjointed unit under Jose Mourinho but have regrouped spectacularly since the Portuguese manager was sacked last month.
Under interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Red Devils have won six straight games, including Sunday’s thrilling 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. United’s defence have the terrifying prospect of facing PSG’s attack of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani but Mbappe was wary of Premier League side’s resurgence under Solskjaer. “I think Manchester United is always a top side,” said Mbappe, who has scored 14 goals in 13 Ligue 1 appearances this season. “It’s not easy to play any team in the Champions League, we are going to do our best.”
The 20-year-old striker feels PSG are on right path but need to work hard to achieve that elusive Champions League title. Meanwhile, Mbappe said his former side Monaco will survive the relegation threat this season. Monaco has been hit hard by injuries this season and currently occupy 19th place in Ligue 1 standings, four points away from drop zone.  
The former Ligue 1 champions hired Thierry Henry in October after sacking Leonardo Jardim but they are yet to recover from the shocking start. Mbappe, however, was confident Arsenal legend Henry can turn things around in the principality club.  “Monaco has always belonged to the top. With 18 injured players it is not easy for them. If PSG had the same amount of players out injured we would also struggle, but with Monaco having Henry I hope they can improve and move away from the relegation zone. With Henry things will be better and hopefully they will finish in second position just behind PSG,” the Frenchman said with a chuckle. 
Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who joined PSG after spending 17 years at Italian giants Juventus, said: “It’s been very nice experience with the PSG. PSG has improved and we are looking to do well in the Champions League.”
Buffon, who will turn 41 later this month, felt Spanish clubs are fancied to win Champions League. “Teams from Spain have big chance in the Champions League. They have the firepower, strong team and big players. Our players also have good quality but I think they (Spanish clubs) are the favourites,’ the former Italian international said.
Meanwhile, PSG had their first training at Aspire Zone last night. The Ligue 1 champions will have an open training session at the Khalifa International Stadium today, with fans getting an opportunity to watch their heroes train. The first-team squad will also take part in promotional activities with main sponsor QNB.
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