Atletico Madrid knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League and moved into the quarter-finals after a 41st minute header from Brazilian Renan Lodi gave them a 1-0 (2-1 combination) prefer at Worn Trafford on Tuesday (March 15). It was a frequent point out of the function of gritty defending and swift counter-attacking for which Diego Simeone’s Atletico facet had been known while United, for all their stress, had been unable to map ample quality opportunities to procure themselves the aim they wished.
United are left to focal level on a Premier League campaign the place they face a right strive against to function the cease four and function a situation in next year’s Champions League. The Spanish champions may perchance perchance per chance fair not be favourites to reach the closing in Paris on Might well presumably per chance 28 nonetheless not one of many teams within the closing eight will most seemingly be hoping to be drawn against them.
After Saturday’s prefer over Tottenham Hotspur, inspired by a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, there was a obvious mood round Worn Trafford and the evening started brightly for United with Anthony Elanga forcing a aesthetic reflex place out of Jan Oblak with a finish to post flick from a Bruno Fernandes disagreeable. United’s Spanish keeper David de Gea then produced an prominent diving place to push broad a lengthy vary effort from Rodrigo De Paul.
Joao Felix then had the ball within the get, tapping in a disagreeable from Marcos Llorente nonetheless the effort was dominated out for offside. There was no reprieve though for United, though, when after a trademark Atletico counter-assault, a artful flick from Joao Felix learned Antoine Griezmann whose disagreeable was nodded in on the wait on post by Lodi.
United argued that the circulate had adopted a depraved on Elanga deep in Atletico’s half nonetheless referee Slavko Vincic waved away their protests. Fernandes ended the half with a fierce shot that all every other time tested Oblak to the fat and raised hopes among the many home strengthen earlier than the 2d half.
United, as anticipated, poured forward after the damage looking for an equaliser nonetheless there was minute map or craft to their attacks. Intervening time supervisor Ralf Rangnick threw on forwards as he sought the breakthrough bringing on Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani to play up entrance with Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho.
Atletico are thru to a Seventh UEFA club competitors quarter-closing within the closing 9 seasons beneath Diego Simeone #UCL pic.twitter.com/dbBqQIpQqG
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2022
Nonetheless his resolution to know off Fernandes within the 67th minute left the crew in need of creativity and their attacks had been an increasing style of factual one dimensional charges on the Atletico wait on line. Captain Harry Maguire was taken off, to cheers from the home strengthen, as Rangnick threw on Spanish winger Juan Mata nonetheless the nearest United came to an equaliser was a aesthetic header from Raphael Varane that had Oblak at fat stretch.
It was scrappy and now and then cynical from Atletico within the latter phases nonetheless their disciplined defence held firm for the victory that sends them into the closing eight. “We must circulate some distance within the competitors and it`s impossible to smooth be in it. It’s important for us to smooth be within the Champions League in what`s an up-and-down season,” said midfielder Koke. “For me, Jan Oblak is the finest goalkeeper on this planet. He`s shown all of it over all every other time tonight.”
Rangnick was upset with the refereeing of the game nonetheless had few complaints about his crew`s performance. “I feel we played a extremely appropriate first half – precisely the map we wished to play with a excessive vitality level nonetheless we couldn’t convert that into one or two targets,” he said.
“Conceding that counter-attacking purpose factual sooner than halftime didn’t function lifestyles any simpler. It was laborious within the 2d half and repeatedly interrupted. There was repeatedly any individual mendacity on the ground. I’d additionally direct some ordinary refereeing choices. I wouldn’t direct they had been decisive nonetheless as a minimum he fell too continually for these time-wasting antics.”
(with Reuters inputs)
