Manchester (AP) – Disappointment for Ralf Rangnick, next round of 16 knockout for Cristiano Ronaldo: The English football record champions Manchester United missed the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
The Red Devils, coached by Rangnick, lost 1-0 (0-1) to Atlético Madrid and were eliminated after the 1-1 draw in the first leg. In addition to Atlético, Benfica also surprisingly made it through with a 1-0 (0-0) win at Ajax Amsterdam, in the first leg both teams had separated 2-2.
At Old Trafford, Renan Lodi sealed Atlético’s victory with a 41st-minute header. This was the last 16 for superstar Ronaldo for the third time in a row. The five-time world footballer, who had shone with a three-pack in the 3-2 win over Tottenham at the weekend, remained pale this time. Ronaldo had already failed with Juventus in the last two seasons in the first knockout round of the premier class.
Man United had found their way into the game well. The Rangnick team put on a lot of pressure and had a huge chance to take the lead through Anthony Elanga, but Madrid keeper Jan Oblak saved the ball from close range with his head (13′). Although Atlético played less, they were always dangerous. United keeper David de Gea fished a shot from Rodrigo de Paul out of the corner (16′), and Joao Felix’s goal was just offside (34′). After that, Lodi was there with a header. In the second half, the hosts tried in vain to equalize.
This threatens the successful club from Old Trafford a disappointing season. The FA and League Cup ended early and United is only fifth in the league, which would no longer be enough for the premier class. Since taking office three and a half months ago, Rangnick has subordinated everything to success. It wasn’t about “implementing my kind of football no matter what,” the coach told the streaming service Amazon Prime Video before the game. First and foremost, it was important “to be successful and to score as many points as possible,” Rangnick continued.
In Amsterdam, the hosts were clearly the superior team, but Ajax lacked consistency in front of the goal. That should take revenge when Darwin scored for Lisbon (77th). The Dutch leaders had already been treated as a secret favorite after a strong group stage with six wins in six games, including two wins against Borussia Dortmund.