Seven things learned from Man Utd’s 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid

A 10-man Manchester United side came away from the Metropolitano after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid.

Manchester United haven’t won a match since beating FK Sabah last month, with a poor run of results growing longer after a 2-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid. Diego Simeone’s teams are notoriously difficult to break down and remain undisputed masters of football’s dark arts.

A dark start for United followed. Pablo Barrios scored 50 seconds in, to give Atleti an early lead. In the latter stages of the first half, there was relief for Michael Carrick as Atleti had a second goal correctly ruled out for handball.

With under 20 minutes left on the clock, Leny Yoro was sent off for a foul in a last-man-back tangle with Jonathan David, but it felt very soft after seeing the replays. Ademola Lookman went on to score the winner for Atleti just minutes later, with United down to 10 men.

Nightmare start after midfield shake-up

Carrick had no other choice but to make changes in midfield because an injury meant Kobbie Mainoo didn’t travel with the squad to Madrid. The head coach responded by giving his entire midfield a shake-up, giving Carlos Baleba his first start for United alongside Andrey Santos. Bruno Fernandes was pushed out to the right wing, which saw Tielemans deployed further forward in the No.10 role.

Speaking to MUTV ahead of the match, Carrick explained his midfield selection, saying: “We want a lot more control in the game. At certain times, we have been too open, and we wanted to change that.”

• 🔴 Manchester United XI vs Atlético Madrid
• GK: Lammens
• DEF: Dalot, Yoro, Martinez, Heaven
• MID: Baleba, Santos, Tielemans (no.10)
• ATT: Fernandes, Mbeumo, Rashford
• Subs: Darlow, Mee, Amass, Armer, De Ligt, Maguire, Mount, T. Fletcher, Lacey, Amad, Cunha, Zirkzee

Atleti were tidy in midfield, but the United players were late to every ball. Santos and Baleba couldn’t stop the hosts from launching an early break as Barrios opened the scoring just 50 seconds in. It was a nightmare start but also an early wake-up call for United’s midfielders. This wasn’t the control Carrick demanded because the Reds were immediately on the back foot, giving up an easy goal.

Baleba grew into the game and made an impressive tackle to retain possession at the beginning of the second half. He also showed glimpses of carrying the ball forward before passing it wide to launch attacks.

Partnerships need time to develop, too. It was Santos’ sixth appearance for the club, with Baleba making his first start three days on from his debut. That’s not to excuse the fact that Carrick has problems in midfield because he’s still working on the best formula to win matches.

Wasteful in front of goal

United had four big chances on goal in the first half. Carrick’s side would have been level at half-time if Bryan Mbeumo took his chances (2) or Marcus Rashford and Carlos Baleba took theirs.

Although United were chasing the game, they’d seen in the first minute how dangerous Atleti can be on the counter-attack. The Spanish side were happy to sit back and defend, especially with the Reds unable to get any joy in front of goal.

It was a wasteful display from United because poor finishing cost them a point in a game they could’ve actually won. Who knew United needed to sign another striker in the summer?

Bruno Fernandes on the right didn’t work out

Fernandes has looked out of sorts of late. Tonight it was no different.

Deployed on the right side of attack, Fernandes was unable to have any impact on the game. It may have been a different story had United had a central forward available to play up front. As a result, Carrick is having to shoehorn players into attacking positions because of shortcomings from the recruitment team.

That doesn’t excuse Fernandes’ form, nor are we trying to. United could have done with a pacey option like Amad Diallo on the right flank instead.

The same could be said for Youri Tielemans in the no. 10 position. He didn’t provide the creative spark to unlock Atleti’s defence, not that he was the only player who failed to do so.

Leny Yoro’s red card was harsh

Towards the end of the match, Yoro was sent off after VAR intervened before his red card. David ran in front of the United defender to try to get clear on goal.

Yoro made limited contact with David, but the Atleti forward didn’t have the ball under control. That is why the decision to dismiss Yoro looked very harsh.

That red card means Yoro will be suspended for one Champions League match, ruling the French defender out of the trip to Como later this month.

Still no goal for Marcus Rashford

Rashford started on the left side of United’s attack after coming on as a late substitute in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Saturday. It was his eighth appearance of the season, and he has yet to score a goal.

Carrick has given Rashford plenty of opportunities to earn his place back at United, after being cast aside and sent on loan twice by the club following a fallout with former head coach Ruben Amorim. Tonight, yet again, the England international proved wasteful in front of goal – with the one big chance he got in the first half.

Rashford was replaced by Amad in the 66th minute. He will hope to end his goalscoring drought against Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday.

Matheus Cunha gets short cameo against former club

It’s no secret Matheus Cunha struggled to establish himself under Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid between 2021 and 2023. It was a clash of styles, and Alvaro Morata was signed to replace Luis Suarez; only the Brazilian forward struggled to get game time over fellow attacking options such as Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix. That was when Cunha left Atleti for Wolves.

• Matheus Cunha’s record at Atletico Madrid
• Appearances: 54
• Goals: 7
• Assists: 8

Tonight, Cunha returned to Madrid to face his former club in the Champions League tonight. He was dropped to the bench and was given a 10-minute cameo after replacing Fernandes.

It will come as a disappointment for Cunha, who would have had plenty of fire in his belly, playing against his former club, but things didn’t quite go as planned. Instead, he was limited to a mere 10 minutes of action, even with Joshua Zirkzee brought on before him.

Cunha forced Jan Oblak into a terrific save in the final minutes of the match.

Man Utd have never beaten Atletico Madrid in Europe

Before tonight’s game, Manchester United had faced Atletico Madrid four times in European competition. This was the fifth meeting and a chance for the Reds to claim their first victory over the Spanish giants.

Historically, English clubs held a poor record against Spanish opposition in Europe. While that tide has turned of late, it meant nothing to United as they prepared for the tie. This was a fierce test against a Diego Simeone side ready to smell blood against a struggling Premier League outfit they have taken joy in beating before.

• Competitive European head-to-head record: Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
• October 23, 1991: Atletico Madrid 3-0 Manchester United – European Cup Winners’ Cup
• November 6, 1991: Manchester United 1-1 Atletico Madrid – European Cup Winners’ Cup
• February 23, 2022: Atletico Madrid 1-1 Manchester United – Champions League
• March 15, 2022: Manchester United 0-1 Atletico Madrid – Champions League
• October 13, 2026: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Manchester United – Champions League

Sadly, Atleti’s unbeaten record against United in Europe remains. There won’t be a chance to get revenge at Old Trafford this season unless the two teams meet in the latter stages of the competition.