Atletico Madrid beat 10-man Man Utd 2-0 after 53-second opener
Key takeaways
- Atletico Madrid beat Manchester United 2-0 in the Champions League.
- Pablo Barrios scored after just 53 seconds.
- Leny Yoro saw a red card in the 74th minute. Ademola Lookman sealed the win.
Manchester United lost 2-0 at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The game was over in a flash at the start. It ended late with a red card and a second goal.
Atletico scored after 53 seconds. United chased the game from there. United missed good chances to level it.
Then a red card in the 74th minute ended their hopes. Atletico scored again five minutes later.
The result leaves both teams with one win and one loss in the league phase. For United manager Michael Carrick, the pressure grows.
What happened
The game was played on Tuesday, October 13. The venue was the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid. It was Matchday 2 of the Champions League league phase.
United came into the game after a draw with Tottenham at the weekend. They wanted a response. They got the worst start they could have asked for.
Atletico broke forward in the first minute. Alex Baena played a precise through ball. Pablo Barrios swept the ball home.
Only 53 seconds had passed. Ayden Heaven tried to clear the ball off the line. He could not keep it out.
Atletico could have scored more in the first half. Alejandro Grimaldo curled a free kick against the woodwork. Johnny Cardoso had a goal ruled out just before half-time.
The officials spotted a handball by Marcos Llorente in the build-up. VAR confirmed the call. VAR stands for video assistant referee.
It is a video check that helps the on-field officials.
United had chances too. Bryan Mbeumo broke into the box and forced a save from Jan Oblak. Oblak also denied Mbeumo from close range.
Carlos Baleba, who was making his full debut, tested Oblak after a corner. United could not find the net.
Atletico nearly doubled the lead early in the second half. Julian Alvarez hit a volley against the post. The ball came over the top from Barrios.
It was a fine strike. It did not go in.
United kept pushing. Youri Tielemans lifted a clever pass for Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes lobbed the ball over Oblak.
It drifted wide. Fernandes then struck the crossbar with a cross-shot with twenty minutes left. United were close.
But close does not count.
The red card
The turning point came in the 74th minute. Leny Yoro was sent off. A red card means a player must leave the field.
His team cannot replace him. United had to finish with ten men.
The officials first looked at a foul by Yoro on Jonathan David. After a VAR review, Yoro was judged to have denied David a clear scoring chance. The decision was harsh in the eyes of many United fans.
TNT Sports called the red card contentious. That means people disagree about it.
United had momentum at that point. The red card killed it. Atletico used the extra man well.
They kept the ball. They pushed United back.
Five minutes later, the second goal came. Jonathan David drove at the United defence. He forced a save from Senne Lammens.
Lammens could only push the ball out. Ademola Lookman tucked home the rebound. The game was over at 2-0.
Carrick then took Fernandes off. He may have been saving his captain for the weekend. United face a big Premier League game next.
The move made sense. The game was lost.
Why it matters
This was a bad night for United. They conceded in the first minute. They missed big chances.
They lost a player to a red card. They lost the game.
The result also says a lot about Atletico. They are hard to beat at home. They have now won ten of their last twelve group-stage games in this event, according to Sportingpedia.
They have also stretched their unbeaten run against United to five matches.
For Carrick, the pressure is rising. United have had a rough start to the season. A loss like this adds to the noise.
Every game now feels big. The team needs a win to calm things down.
The red card adds another problem. Yoro will miss at least one game. United will have to fill the gap in defence.
That is not easy against top teams.
There is also a bright spot for United, even in defeat. They made chances against a top side away from home. Oblak had to make real saves.
Fernandes hit the woodwork. On another night, one of those chances goes in. But football is about goals.
United scored none.
What happens next
Both teams go into Matchday 3 with one win and one loss. The group is still open. No team is out.
No team is through.
United have a busy week ahead. They travel to Leeds United in the Premier League at the weekend. That is a fierce rivalry.
Then they travel to Como in the Champions League next week, according to TNT Sports. Como are new to this level. But they will be full of fight.
Atletico will look to build on this win. Their home form is a weapon. Their defence is tough.
Their attack has goals in it. Barrios and Lookman both scored. David made a big impact off the bench.
United need to fix two things fast. They need to start games better. They cannot keep conceding early.
They need to take their chances. They had enough looks in Madrid to score. They took none.
The same Champions League week also featured Roma hosting Real Madrid in Rome. Earlier in the league phase, Barcelona beat Galatasaray.
Related stories
Why Is Altitude Sickness Worse for Some People?
Altitude sickness hits some people harder because of genetics, ascent speed, and prior history, not fitness level. Here is what raises risk
Why Do You Get Blisters When Hiking and How to Prevent Them
Friction plus moisture plus heat equals a blister. Learn why hiking breeds all three, and the boots, socks, and tape system that keeps
How to choose hiking boots for beginners: fit, features, and break-in
Beginners should buy for fit first: snug everywhere, tight nowhere, with a thumb's width at the toes. Here is how to size, test,