Manchester United were eliminated by Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 of the Champions League, with the La Liga champions winning 2-1 on aggregate. Here are the three talking points from the second leg of the fixture.
Controversial goal pointed out by Rangnick
Anthony Elanga was seemingly fouled in the buildup to Atletico Madrid’s goal which ended up propelling them to the quarter finals of the competition. Ralf Rangnick pointed out the decision to let play run, and went on to describe Atletico’s time wasting tactics as a joke on him. Especially with the referee falling for them.
Rehan Lodi scored the only goal of the second leg, netting a cross from Antoine Griezmann after being unmarked on the far post.
Diego Simeone finally gets his revenge
The Atletico Madrid manager has been knocked out of the Champions League by a team consisting of Cristiano Ronaldo far too many times. And at Old Trafford, the Argentinian finally got his revenge against his old nemesis.
It’s been 3969 days since the last time Ronaldo didn’t have a shot in a Champions League match. https://t.co/C6Lsd35vKP
— Mike L. Goodman (@TheM_L_G) March 16, 2022
Ronaldo went his first Champions League game without a shot in over a decade, and couldn’t drag his team to a win this time. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has now been eliminated in the Round of 16 for the third season running.
Manchester United’s problems on full display
David De Gea pointed out that Manchester United didn’t create enough chances during the game. He also acknowledged that the team simply wasn’t good enough to defeat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
With a shaky defense and a hit-or-miss attack, it will be difficult for Manchester United to finish with a trophy this season as well. Their hopes of finishing in the top four also rely on Arsenal stumbling in their games in hand. As a result, things need a massive shift at Old Trafford soon.
