It was an old failing that got Manchester United in the second half. Paris Saint-Germain scored from a set piece and what proved to be the turning point of the game looked a little easy. That is the kind of thing that used to happen under the old manager. So PSG will take that away goal back and indeed one more to Paris knowing that they have secured something valuable and if it was all part of the plan — had they identified a weakness beforehand — then maybe that was to be expected. Manchester United remain a team with flaws in it despite the work of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer They remain uncertain across the back and against a very good side that was brutally exposed United are a team with flaws in it and here they were. They remain uncertain across the back and against a very good side — a side that came to Old Trafford with the courage to play on the front foot — that was exposed brutally in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. During that spell, the French champions scored twice and in truth could have scored four or five. During that period, United could not cope with the directness and pace of Kylian Mbappe nor indeed the intelligence and trickery of their former winger Angel Di Maria. Still, though, this was a night for United to reflect on with disappointment but not dismay. The Premier League team have come a long way in a short time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the fact that this was a contest at all for 50 minutes says much about what the Norwegian has done. During a 20-minute spell the French champions scored twice and it could have been more During that period United could not cope with the directness and pace of Kylian Mbappe It is worth remembering for a moment how United reached the knock out stages of the competition. Drawing 0-0 with Young Boys of Switzerland in added time here in early winter, they lumped a long ball up to Marouane Fellaini who controlled it with his hand, turned and drove it in to the goal. It was an ugly goal to cap an ugly night and that summed up the way that things were going for United under Jose Mourinho at the time. That United looked utterly incapable of competing toe to toe with a good side and from that point of view, what we saw on Tuesday night represented progress of sorts. If Solskjaer was looking for excuses about the way the flow of this tie turned against his team then he will find it in the loss just before half-time of two forward players, Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial. Nor indeed could United deal with the intelligence and trickery of Angel Di Maria Once Jesse Lingard (pictured) and Anthony Martial had gone so had a vital part of the plan They had been front and central of a high press that terrified PSG at times during the opening period. Once they had gone —replaced by Alexis Sanchez and Juan Mata — so had a vital part of Solskjaer's pre-game plan. That kind of tactic can only work if every player buys in to it, of course, and Solskjaer had picked a team for the job. This was a United side with youth on its side and the way that players like Marcus Rashford and Lingard closed down their opponents deep in the PSG half lent the early stages that suited the home team. PSG, we know, are used to getting things pretty much their own way in Ligue 1. The French champions have only dropped seven points from a possible 66 in their domestic league and are usually given all the time they wish to play their football. Here, they could not escape the red shadows early on. Twice in the opening 10 minutes, PSG goalkeeper Gianluigui Buffon passed the ball straight out of play, once on either side of the field. This was a night for the United faithful to reflect on with disappointment but not dismay The 40-year-old was nominally seeking a team-mate but in truth his clearances were hurried, made so by the presence of opposition players in his immediate field of vision. There were bookings for PSG, too. The central defender Presnel Kimpembe could have been cautioned twice and that would have meant a sending off. He was to score the first goal. Julian Draxler also walked a tightrope after an early caution for a foul on Ander Herrera. None of that was intentional. It all came about because PSG were being asked to play under pressure, to move the ball quicker than they wished to. United were dictating the way that the game was being played and too often in recent years we have not been able to say that. For United and their freshly expectant supporters it was not to last. It is worth noting that for all United's good play in the first half, they did not create a chance. When PSG gained the ascendency, on the other hand, they scored once and then scored again. To progress in Paris looks too hard a task from here and for United this will serve as a reality check. But for a while United traded blows with a good European side. They played with ambition and intent and maybe that cost them in the end. But at least they were in the game with meaning. It has been a while. All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility