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Martial vs Mbappe
If things had worked differently last season, Anthony Martial would hold a World Cup winner medal in his growing trophy collection.
However, on Tuesday night, he will meet the spokesperson of French football and another former Monegasque winger who himself drove France to the last prize in Russia last summer.
Martial's career is easily comparable to that of Kylian Mbappe, but the Manchester United winger is still often questioned by opposing supporters who simply use goal statistics and team wins to rank a individual.
It's fair to say that the 20-year-old PSG striker has overshadowed the individual achievements of many players, including Martial, but that's understandable enough for a player of his immense talent. However, the United winger faces the challenge Tuesday night and prove he deserves to be considered one of the best talents in European football.
United's fans will have no doubt about the talents of their 23-year-old winger, but he still has the feeling that he has a point to prove on the biggest stage of all. If the weekend held, national fans will have nothing to worry about seeing their own emerging super star show exactly what it's doing.
XI the strongest
With very little injury news to report – sorry Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian, we will probably see the best training available at Solskjaer for the rest of the season.
The victories against Tottenham and Arsenal have already offered two different formations for the big matches, but whatever the configuration chosen, the eleven players will benefit from the confidence of their coach.
Perhaps the only interesting news of the team will be the central entourage who is selected for the match. Eric Bailly is surely the defender best able to fight the huge pace of Mbappe.
Martial's three leaders, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, could not only shed light on their own abilities, but would also be a damning reflection for Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku.
Comfort of the house
This is the kind of statistics fans love and club staff often think of as a coincidence. However, it should be noted that no French team has ever beaten United away from home in European competition (D4 L10). In terms of the Champions League, only two French teams avoided the defeat at Old Trafford: Monaco in March 1998 (1-1), Lille in October 2005 (0-0).
Such statistical quirks could give fans a huge advantage in anticipation of the game. So, break any initial optimism into another one that will counterbalance it.
United has won only one of its last nine knockout matches in the Champions League (D3 L5). It was against Olympiakos in March 2014 when Robin van Persie scored a sensational hat trick.
Deliver under pressure
There is little reason to deny that United must be considered the favorite before the match.
Solskjaer's tenure began as a sub-dog that continued to challenge the odds, but with 11 games unbeaten, he now has to tackle a huge match with victory expectations.
Neymar and Edinson Cavani are both huge absentees to the visitors and there is a real expectation. United must seize their chance and win Tuesday night.
Thomas Tuchel admitted that his team was playing games like a dog, and although it was mainly games of the mind, it seems that expectations have changed.
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