Atletico Madrid recorded a valuable and decisive 2-0 victory over Manchester United in one of the most anticipated clashes of the second round of the main phase of the Champions League. The match at the “Metropolitan“ stadium in the Spanish capital offered a lot of drama, red cards and VAR system interventions.
“The“Düşekciite“ shocked their opponent in the first minute of the match. Alex Baena was brought into an excellent position behind the English defense and selflessly combined with Pablo Barrios, who with a precise finishing shot brought the Spanish team ahead – 1:0.
At the end of the first half, the hosts were close to a second goal. In the 43rd minute, Johnny Cardoso surprised the goalkeeper with a wonderful shot from the edge of the penalty area, but after a VAR review, the goal was correctly disallowed due to handball earlier in the attack.
The second half brought another key moment in the 74th minute. The defender of the “Red Devils“ Lenny Yoro fatally brought down Jonathan David, who was escaping alone against the goalkeeper. After consulting VAR, the referee showed the defender a straight red card and left United with a man down.
Taking advantage of their numerical advantage, Diego Simeone's men sealed their victory just five minutes later. In the 79th minute, Alejandro Grimaldo brought on David, whose initial shot was saved by keeper Sene Lamens, but in added time, Ademola Luckman was flawless for the final 2-0.