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Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by AC Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday.
The game started with a bang as Franck Kessie's opener was ruled out for handball following a VAR review.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played his trump card as he introduced Amad Diallo early on in the second half. The youngster repaid the faith entrusted in him with a beautifully lobbed header following a mesmerizing pass from Bruno Fernandes.
The header marked Amad Diallo's first goal for Manchester United's senior side. It also made him the youngest non-British player ever to score in a major European competition for the club.
However, AC Milan had the last laugh as they equalized moments before full-time, courtesy of Simon Kjaer.
On that note, let's take a look at five talking points from the game.
#5. Manchester United rue missed chances
Manchester United should have taken the lead in the opening half itself. However, Harry Maguire somehow managed to get it all wrong. The 28-year-old failed to tuck the ball in following a perfect delivery by Alex Telles.
Another big chance was squandered by Daniel James. The Welshman fluffed his finish after some great work by Mason Greenwood. The Red Devils will be hoping that these misses do not come back to haunt them.
#4. AC Milan had the midfield under their control
AC Milan had more control in the center of the park, with Franck Kessie, Soualiho Miete and Rade Krunic looking very comfortable. They pressed hard, created more chances, and their build-ups were actually threatening.
Kessie was the standout player for AC Milan. If not for some no-nonsense defending from Manchester United's center-back pairing, the visitors would have had an emphatic victory at Old Trafford.
#3. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got it all wrong after going a goal up
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a mistake by withdrawing Manchester United's only playmaker Bruno Fernandes in the 73rd minute and replacing him with Fred. To make matters worse, he subbed two more defenders in the form of Brandon Williams and Luke Shaw.
The Norwegian got his substitutes absolutely wrong, allowing AC Milan to go all-in at the opposite end. With fewer players to worry about at the back, the visitors pushed bodies up-front. They were finally rewarded for their resilience when Kjaer equalized late in the game.
#2. The defenders took the spotlight from the forwards
Both sets of defenders put in scintillating performances on Thursday.
Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire were brilliant for Manchester United defensively. With the Red Devils not creating much up front and AC Milan rallying back at them, the duo had a huge responsibility. They did not disappoint and played their part to perfection at the back.
Meanwhile, Kjaer and Fikayo Tomori were immense for AC Milan. The two players were not as troubled as Manchester United's defenders, but they managed to deal with whatever came their way. Kjaer even went on to score the Rossoneri's only goal of the night to top off his solid display.
#1. The tie is wide open
Both Manchester United and AC Milan had their fair share of chances on the night but failed to take them.
Manchester United failed to seal the tie as Maguire and James both passed up big opportunities to score. Meanwhile, Krunic failed to convert a big chance on the opposite end.
It will be an interesting return leg next week as both sides battle it out for a spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
