Manchester United 0-1 Atletico Madrid (1-2 on aggregate) (Lodi, 41′)
Manchester United‘s wait to win silverware will extend to a fifth season after Renan Lodi’s first-half header secured a 1-0 victory for Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford in the Champions League.
Jan Oblak, the historic clean sheet collector, has endured an unforeseen blip this season – no goalkeeper has recorded a lower save percentage in La Liga than the Slovenian – but he made a point-blank stop with his face to deny Anthony Elanga a 12th-minute opener.
Moments later, David De Gea showcased his shot-stopping qualities by far more conventional means, clawing Rodrigo De Paul’s effort to safety after a deflection from Fred had sent the ball spinning ominously towards his top corner.
The moment of the night came after 20 minutes, when Fred produced a sublime piece of skill by the byline, drawing gasps from the Old Trafford faithful and a primal sound from Robbie Savage in the commentary box. You can’t spell Fernando Redondo without F-R-E-D.
Atletico, always a threat on the counter, had the ball in the net past the half-hour mark when Joao Felix smuggled the ball into an empty net at the back post at the end of a free-flowing move. The 22-year-old’s joy was short-lived, the linesman correctly ruling the assister Marcos Llorente offside.
Not long after, they took the lead with another goal crafted via their right flank. Felix backheeled to Antoine Griezmann, he swung a cross towards the back post and Renan Lodi beat Diogo Dalot to head into the ground and beyond De Gea. United complaints for a foul on Elanga in the build-up fell on deaf ears.
United’s widemen looked the most likely to level the scoreline. Elanga flashed a shot just wide of Oblak’s far post with an effort not dissimilar to the one that nestled in the corner in the first leg before Jadon Sancho fired a volley inches over the top from a Dalot cross.
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Oblak’s powers of recovery continued to flood back as he made a superb stop to keep Raphael Varane’s goalbound header out as United camped themselves in Atletico’s half.
Juan Mata, who hasn’t played a single minute of Premier League football this season, was next to be summoned from the bench, replacing Harry Maguire, in what seemed a popular move in the stands.
Cheers at Maguire’s humiliation were replaced by boos at the full-time whistle as United exited the Champions League with a whimper.
Man Utd (4-2-3-1)
- De Gea – 7
- Dalot – 5
- Varane – 6
- Maguire – 5
- Telles – 6
- McTominay – 5
- Fred – 8
- Elanga – 7
- Fernandes – 5
- Sancho – 7
- Ronaldo – 6
Subs:
- Rashford – 6
- Matic – 6
- Pogba – 6
- Cavani – N/A
- Mata – N/A
Atletico Madrid (3-5-2)
- Oblak – 7
- Savic – 7
- Gimenez – 8
- Reinaldo – 6
- Llorente – 6
- Koke – 6
- Herrera – 7
- De Paul – 7
- Lodi – 7
- Griezmann – 8
- Felix – 6
Subs:
- Kondogbia – 6
- Felipe N/A
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