Man United knocked out of Champions League as Atletico Madrid cross to quarter-finals

By Matthew Eloyi

Renan Lodi’s header pushed Atletico Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, advancing the Spanish champions 2-1 on aggregate.

United’s last chance of silverware this season was ended four minutes before half-time when the Brazilian full-back headed in unmarked at the back post, extending their trophy drought that began in 2017.

United now faces an uphill battle merely to qualify for the Champions League next season, as the club currently stands fifth in the Premier League, despite having a star-studded squad.

Atletico’s struggles to break into the top four of La Liga this season have shown their limits.

However, Diego Simeone’s team’s Champions League knockout experience shined through as they comfortably saw the game out to advance to the last eight for the sixth time in nine seasons.

Cristiano Ronaldo had been the plague of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, scoring a hat-trick for Juventus to recover a 2-0 first-leg lead three years ago and twice laying the decisive blow in final defeats to Real Madrid.

Simeone’s players, on the other hand, finally got the better of the 37-year-old, as he had no real impact on the stalemate.

Three weeks ago, Anthony Elanga came off the bench to help United rescue a 1-1 draw in Madrid, and the Swedish teenager was unlucky not to put the hosts ahead on 13 minutes.

Elanga was picked out by Diogo Dalot’s low cross, and his goalbound shot deflected off Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak to safety.

For the first 15 minutes, Atletico was confined to their own half, but they posed a threat whenever they were able to thread together a few passes on the counter-attack.

Rodrigo De Paul’s long-range shot prompted David de Gea to make a spectacular full-stretch save.

Joao Felix had scored five goals in his previous five appearances, including the first-leg goal for Atletico Madrid, proving that he was finally living up to his 120 million euro ($131 million) price tag.

Marcos Llorente was flagged offside from Koke’s pass before he squared for Felix to apply the finishing touch, but the Portuguese had the ball in the net again at the end of a brilliant Atletico move that cut through a leaden-footed United defence.

United failed to learn their lesson, as they were readily opened up down their left flank for the game-winner.

When the visitors fed the ball forward to Felix, whose backheel found Antoine Griezmann, whose cross found the unmarked Lodi to head home, the home fans were still howling for a foul on Elanga in the Atletico half.

In the second half, Atletico reverted to the tried and true methods of Simeone’s tenure, content to sit on their advantage and not be disturbed by a United team devoid of ideas.

Ralf Rangnick made the courageous decision to replace Bruno Fernandes with Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani 23 minutes from time as he emptied his bench in pursuit of an equaliser.

The hosts’ only threat came from set-pieces, with Oblak making a fantastic save to deny Raphael Varane before getting back off the floor to save Ronaldo’s acrobatic follow-up effort.

United’s final shots on goal were blocked by the visitors, allowing Simeone to rush down the touchline in joy at full-time.