By Our Reporter
Manchester United suffered a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, extending their winless run to five matches and increasing the pressure on head coach Michael Carrick.
United’s disappointing night in Madrid was compounded by defender Leny Yoro’s dismissal and a late goal from Ademola Lookman, while Lisandro Martinez sparked fresh controversy by publicly criticising the club’s hierarchy over its transfer spending.
Atletico took the lead just 47 seconds into the match when Pablo Barrios capitalised on a simple ball over the top to beat United’s defence and put the hosts ahead.
The early setback exposed United’s defensive weaknesses, although the visitors gradually created opportunities to get back into the contest.
Bryan Mbeumo came close to equalising with a deflected effort that narrowly missed the target, while Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak denied the forward another opportunity from an angle inside the penalty area.
United also threatened from a corner, but midfielder Carlos Baleba headed straight at Oblak.
Atletico nearly doubled their advantage before the break through a free-kick from Grimaldo, which struck the post. The hosts subsequently had a second goal ruled out after a video assistant referee review determined that Marcos Llorente had handled the ball in the build-up to Johnny Cardoso’s finish.
United continued searching for an equaliser after the interval, but their inability to convert chances proved costly.
Bruno Fernandes struck the crossbar, while Atletico forward Julian Alvarez also hit the woodwork as the Spanish side threatened to extend their lead.
United’s hopes of salvaging a result suffered a major blow in the 74th minute when Yoro was sent off following an on-field review by referee Glenn Nyberg.
The defender was judged to have denied Atletico’s Jonathan David a clear goalscoring opportunity after a coming together just inside United’s half. However, the decision attracted criticism, with former footballer Clinton Morrison describing the dismissal as soft.
Atletico took advantage of their numerical superiority five minutes later when Lookman scored to make it 2-0, sealing the victory for the hosts.
Despite creating four major scoring opportunities, United failed to find the net, underlining their difficulties in converting chances into goals.
The defeat leaves the English side with three points in the Champions League and adds to the scrutiny surrounding Carrick ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Leeds United.