Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the action from the first-leg clash at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
Super sub Anthony Elanga spared Manchester United’s blushes at Atletico Madrid as Ralf Rangnick’s side snatched a scarcely deserved 1-1 draw in the first leg of this Champions League last-16 tie.
Wednesday’s clash at a rocking Wanda Metropolitano brought together two Jekyll and Hyde sides that stand no chance of ending challenging seasons with domestic honours.
United again underwhelmed on Wednesday evening, but teenage substitute Elanga cancelled out Joao Felix’s early bullet header to secure Rangnick’s men what could prove to be an important draw with Atletico.
The interim manager may, in truth, have been satisfied to leave Spain with a narrow first-leg loss given the abolishment of away goals and the fact his side floundered for much of the night.
Felix’s thundering early header gave Atleti a seventh-minute lead and cumbersome United were breathing a sigh of relief when Sime Vrsaljko hit the crossbar just before the break.
The home fans certainly enjoyed Real Madrid great Cristiano Ronaldo struggling for United, who would score with their first shot on target in the 80th minute.
Teenage substitute Elanga kept his cool after being put through by Bruno Fernandes and slotted past Jan Oblak, with Antoine Griezmann rattling the woodwork as Diego Simeone’s Atleti pushed for a late winner.
Relive all the action below.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
So, what about Atletico Madrid?
Well, they are the Spanish champions having claimed the La Liga title ahead of rivals Real Madrid last season. Their defence of it has been flawed, though, as they currently sit fifth and way off the pace of their deafening neighbours.
Despite their two Champions League finals in the mid 2010s, they have now not gone past the quarter-finals since 2017 - when a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick put them out in the last four.
Since then, a group stage exit, two last 16 defeats and a quarter-final loss have proven frustrating roadblocks to European success for Simeone (although he did win the Europa League in one of those campaigns).
They are beatable, but they are also incredibly canny. It’ll be interesting to see how they shape up tonight.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Just one more on Ronaldo. He has scored 25 goals and provided five assists in 35 appearances against Atletico. That is more goal involvements than he has against any other team in his entire career.
He scored the fourth for Real Madrid in their 4-1 win over them in the 2014 Champions League final. He then bagged the winning penalty against them in their ‘rematch’ final two years later. He has also netted four hat-tricks against Diego Simeone’s side.
As far as Atleti fans can tell, he is the devil.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
What about this man then? Young Cristiano Ronaldo. Is he the problem? Is he the solution? Whatever your feelings towards him in this Manchester United team, his pedigree in the Champions League is not up for debate.
He continues to impress on the biggest stage - scoring six goals in seven European appearances so far this season.
Ronaldo has made his name against the very best the continent has to offer. But he has possibly never played for a team as unfancied at winning the Champions League as Manchester United currently are.
From now and going forward, he needs to step up and help them. Otherwise they could be out of the competition very quickly. Starting tonight.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Manchester United have only reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League once since 2014.
That was back in 2019 and the famous ‘Ole’s at the wheel’ Rio Ferdinand game when PSG threw away a two-goal first leg lead to lose on away goals at the Le Parc des Princes. United were then knocked out in the quarter-finals by Barcelona.
Aside from that, United’s best performance in Europe’s elite competition over the past eight years has been a solitary last 16 appearance in 2018 when they were dumped out by Sevilla.
All in all, it’s been pretty bleak for those left in Fergie’s wake. Can Rangnick do something to change that tonight?
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
Evening everyone and happy Wednesday. We all looking forward to another evening of Champions League football? I’ll take that as a yes.
The brilliance and the insipid are both on show tonight - and that’s before we even get to Atletico Madrid.
That’s right, it’s the return of Manchester United in Europe. The Jekyll and Hyde, the clown car, the daft and dazzling Old Trafford boys jet off to Madrid in search of a positive result.
But will they leave the Spanish capital all smiles?
Atletico Madrid host Manchester United in Champions League last 16
Welcome to our coverage of a fascinating first-leg clash in the Champions League last 16 as Manchester United head to Spain to do battle with Atletico Madrid.
If you like your football clubs to be in crisis, then this is the match for you with both proud, old titans of European football facing serious questions over the direction they’re heading in. Dressing room tension, a manager who allegedly doesn’t have the full respect of the players, “chaos” at all levels of the club and the glory days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era fading ever further into the distant past - everything is not well at Old Trafford. For their part, Atletico have plummeted down LaLiga after a dismal run of form and Diego Simeone’s pragmatic (or defensive, depending on your viewpoint) style of football is far less palatable when it isn’t delivering results.
A place in the Champions League quarter-finals would certainly go some way to alleviating the pain for both these sides and they can take a big step towards doing so in tonight’s first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Stay with us to follow all the action as it happens.
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