Atlético de Madrid 1-0 Manchester United: Colchoneros lead at half-time

13.10.26 FT Champions League

Atletico Madrid

2

:

Manchester United

0

Pablo Barrios put Atlético ahead in the first minute, before Madrid dominated and had a goal disallowed just before half-time.

Atlético de Madrid made a perfect start to their clash with Manchester United on Tuesday evening in the Champions League. In the very first minute, Pablo Barrios took advantage of a ball played over the Manchester defence to slide it into the back of the net and give the Colchoneros an immediate lead. This quick-fire opener set the tone for a first half largely controlled by the Madrid side.

Grimaldo comes close to doubling the lead

Diego Simeone’s men continued to push after their goal. Álex Grimaldo came particularly close to making it 2-0 with a powerful curling effort that crashed against the angle of the post and crossbar. It was another warning for a Manchester United side struggling to play out cleanly and contain the Madrid attacks.

The Red Devils did try to respond. Bryan Mbeumo created one of their best chances of the first half, but his effort was pushed behind for a corner by Jan Oblak.

Second goal disallowed before half-time

In the 43rd minute, Johnny Cardoso thought he had given Atlético a two-goal lead. The Madrid midfielder had found the back of the net, but the referee eventually disallowed the goal after a VAR review because of an earlier handball by Marcos Llorente.

Atlético therefore went into the dressing room with a one-goal lead, but also with the feeling that they had largely dominated the first half. Manchester United will need to show a very different side after the break if they are to get back into the match.

Also read: Champions League, Atlético de Madrid - Manchester United: official line-ups announced

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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