Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Summary
Manchester United were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League following their 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid. Renan Lodi’s first half header was enough to see off the Reds at Old Trafford. Anthony Elanga went down in the build up to the goal, however the goal was given and United were out. Atletico won the game 2-1 on aggregate and have progressed to the quarter finals of the Champions League. The Red Devils on the other hand, have only got a Premier League top four place to fight for.
United began the second leg in much better fashion. Cristiano Ronaldo was at the heart of most attacks, causing issues for the opposition backline by drifting wide. The Old Trafford faithful were electric and responded well to United’s urgent start. The Reds looked to press the Spanish side into submission early on with both Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles bombing forward.
United fail to capitalise on early dominance
The best chance of the game fell to Elanga, who saw his effort saved expertly by Jan Oblak. Bruno Fernandes and Dalot also saw their long-range effort saved well by Atletico’ shot stopper. There were appeals for a penalty, when Fernandes went down in the box following an aerial challenge from Lodi. But nothing was given. Fred was particularly impressive in the first half. The Brazilian showed some great trickery to evade tackles and also kept the ball moving nicely.
Before the goal, Atletico were fairly quiet in the final third and David de Gea had little to do. United’s number one had only one save to make and that was mid-way through the first half to deny Rodrigo De Paul’s speculative shot. The Red Devils went into half-time knowing they would have to be at their creative best to break down Atletico’s stubborn defence. However, United were frustrated in the second half by Simeone’s defensive set up. Ragnick’s team made only three clear cut chances in the second half. Jadon Sancho smashed his volley over, Elanga’s effort whistled wide and Raphael Varane’s pinpoint header was tipped wide.
Tempers flared at full-time as objects were thrown from the home supporters in the direction of Simeone. United fans also showed their discontent with referee Slavko Vinic, who made some very controversial calls in favour of the away side.
Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid Player Ratings
David de Gea 6/10
Had little to do throughout the game. Made a great save to deny Rodrigo De Paul, however his distribution on a whole was poor. Beaten at his near post for the goal.
Diogo Dalot 5/10
Began the game well and drove forward with the ball. Pressed well and won the ball back to start multiple attacks in the first 15 minutes. Left Lodi free at the back-post during the build-up to the goal. Shaky and lacking belief in the second half.
Raphael Varane 7/10
A Rolls Royce defender. Composed on the ball and when defending counter attacking opportunities. Simply United’s best defender and was unlucky not to level the score late on with a close-range header. Another impressive outing for Varane.
Harry Maguire 4/10
Didn’t perform as badly compared to his performances in recent weeks. However, he was shaky on the ball and this created a sense of nervousness around Old Trafford. Not the kind of performance associated with a captain of Manchester United on a big European night.
Alex Telles 4/10
Like Dalot, he began the game brightly but became worse as the game went on. All of Atletico’s meaningful attacks came from his side. Luke Shaw will likely replace the Brazilian when he returns to full fitness. A poor display.
Scott McTominay 5/10
Won his duels and injected some tempo into United’s passing early on. Faded as the game went on and didn’t make any promising passes into the final third. Looked lost in a midfield battle filled with talented players.
Fred 8/10
United’s best player on the night. Made some great tackles and interceptions, which created waves of attacks in the first half. Used some nice flicks and tricks to evade tackles and create space for teammates. Was taken off in the second half when United moved to a 4-4-2. Maintained the same performance levels from the game at the weekend. A solid performance.
Bruno Fernandes 6/10
Didn’t look fully fit and was amongst the first set of players who were taken off, just after the hour mark. Created some decent openings for Elanga and saw his long-range effort well saved. Became visibly frustrated as the game went on. A night to forget for Bruno.
Anthony Elanga 5/10
Was bright and energetic throughout. Should have given United the lead with his close-range effort. His night was epitomised by his effort in the second half where he beat his man for pace but couldn’t hit the target. The right ideas from the young man but still lacking that final product.
Jadon Sancho 4/10
His worst game for United in a very long time. Was very direct with his runs but lost possession on too many occasions. Had very little impact on the game apart from his volley that went over. Wasn’t helped by a lack of support from Telles.
Cristiano Ronaldo 6/10
Began the game with intent. A much more well-rounded performance from United’s number seven. However, he moved into wider areas on far too many occasions. This may have been down to a lack of service. Will be very disappointed with his lack of involvement in the game.
Subs
Paul Pogba 4/10
Had sufficient time to impact the game but didn’t get himself involved enough. Needs to drastically improve his form if he wants to be starting every week.
Marcus Rashford 4/10
Looks a shadow of his former self. No confidence or belief in anything he does. Needs to be playing off the left as he simply isn’t suited to playing on the right flank.
Nemanja Matic 5/10
Was brought on to unlock Atletico’s defensive unit. Found it difficult to break the lines but did bring some composure and expertise to the side.
Edison Cavani 4/10
Had no service whatsoever but a poor cameo overall.
Juan Mata N/A
Didn’t have sufficient time to impact the game.
Manager: Ralph Rangnick 6/10
Probably picked the best lineup to get a result from this game. The starting eleven was balanced and there was an array of great options off the bench to impact the game. His only dubious decision revolved around Fernandes starting as he clearly looked unfit. The Reds were much better compared to the first leg and controlled the majority of the match. Despite their control and intense pressing they made very few clear-cut opportunities. Simeone won the tactical affair with his defensive system.
