A determined Manchester United produce a good result against Diego Simeone’s men away from home at the Wanda Metropolitano. A lacklustre performance in the first half put Atletico in the driving seat but a clinical finish from Anthony Elanga gives Ralf Rangnick side the advantage going into the second leg at Old Trafford.
Determined Manchester United Produce Good Result at the Wanda Metropolitano
Disastrous Start
Atletico Madrid began on the front foot and exerted pressure onto United from the first minute. The midfield of United looks disjointed with Fred operating in the holding position, with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes playing slightly ahead. United fans have seen this midfield fail in the past and it was clearly not working. The likes of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were also poor in the first half with terrible distribution. They both also failed to pick up the run of Joa Felix as he got in ahead of them and scored with a fantastic header. That was a quality goal from Felix and David De Gea had no chance, but a little more urgency from Maguire there may have made it a tad more difficult for the Portuguese.
Lindelof Utilised at Right Back
Rangnick decided to deploy Victor Lindelof at right back, a decision which raised eyebrows. However, Lindelof was superb at the weekend and has played at full back for his national side. Diego Simeone’s men clearly targeted Lindelof and in all fairness he coped with it rather well. Lodi Dos Santos enjoyed a lot of the ball on that flank and took Lindelof on. After Lodi provided the assist for Atletico’s first goal United fans feared the worst but Lindelof was resolute enough to contain the attacks down that flank. He was replaced in the second half by Aaron Wan Bissaka and considering he was playing out of position, he put a good shift in.
Elanga Repays Faith Shown by Rangnick
Anthony Elanga is a player who has taken his opportunity with both hands under Rangnick. It is understood Rangnick was impressed by Elanga in his very first training session and he has rewarded him with minutes on the football pitch. A couple of weeks ago, Elanga saw the brutal side of being a footballer when he missed the penalty that knocked United out of the FA Cup and the fanbase was concerned it would affect his confidence. However, the young lad has continued to play without fear and looks like an academy player who just enjoys playing for the badge. He has come up with a massive goal for his side which could be crucial in contributing to United potentially qualifying for quarter-final of the Champions League.
Main Image Credit Embed from Getty Images
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