Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United. UEFA Champions League. Man Utd conceded after 47 seconds vs Atletico Madrid after being cut open with a simple ball over the top and the hosts added a second late in the game shortly after Leny Yoro was shown a ‘soft’ red card following an on-field review by referee Glenn Nyberg Ten-man Manchester United failed to ease the pressure on Michael Carrick as they were beaten 2-0 at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League after conceding in the first minute. United’s problems spilled out further after the match when defender Lisandro Martinez called out the United hierarchy over a lack of investment in the summer and suggested a change was needed, but not in the dugout.
Now winless in five, United were improved from Saturday’s 1-1 draw against 10-man Tottenham in the Premier League but Martinez’s comments have ensured there is no respite from the sense of crisis engulfing the club. On Tuesday in Madrid, United’s nightmare start did little to assuage criticism around how easy they are to play against. Atletico opened them up with a simple ball over the top and took the lead through Pablo Barrios after just 47 seconds. Ademola Lookman put the game beyond doubt for Atletico Madrid with just over 10 minutes to go shortly after Leny Yoro was controversially shown a straight red card following an on-field review by referee Glenn Nyberg.
The France international was deemed to have denied Atletico’s Jonathan David a goalscoring opportunity after a coming together between the pair just inside United’s half. “It is soft! No way, that should not be a red,” Clinton Morrison said on Soccer Special. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Atletico had a second goal ruled out following an on-field review from the referee just before half-time with Marcos Llorente judged to have handled the ball when his arm was in an unnatural position before Johnny Cardoso scored from the edge of the box.
Manchester United created four big chances without scoring any – their most in a Champions League game since September 2012 against Galatasaray (also 0/4). United were always second best on the night but had more than enough opportunities to equalise at 1-0 with Bryan Mbeumo sending a deflected shot narrowly wide and captain Bruno Fernandes hitting the bar after spurning a decent opening on the break. However, United, who remain on three points in the Champions League, can have no complaints about losing in Madrid after yet another disjointed performance which only adds to the scrutiny on their head coach ahead of a Sunday’s trip to Leeds in the league, live on Sky Sports. Reading on Sky Sports Scores?
The Sky Sports app is better than ever – tap to find out why… 1: GOAL! Atletico lead after 47 seconds as Barrios squeezes the ball past Heaven on the line after a simple ball over the top unlocks Man Utd 13: CLOSE! Mbeumo’s goal-bound shot is deflected narrowly wide in Man Utd’s first chance 24: SAVE! Oblak keeps out Mbeumo’s shot from the angle inside the box. 25: CHANCE!
Unmarked at a corner Man Utd’s Baleba heads straight into the arms of Oblak 27: POST! Grimaldo hits the frame of the goal with a free-kick Atletico 45: GOAL DISALLOWED! Atletico’s Cardoso has strike ruled out following VAR review due to a handball by Llorente in build-up 55: POST! Alvarez’s left-footed volley beats Lammens but hits the frame of the goal as Atletico threaten to extend their lead 58: MISS!
Fernandes spurns a chance created by Tielemans’ ball over the top as Man Utd chase equaliser 75: RED CARD! Yoro is sent off following an on-field review by the referee for denying David a goalscoring opportunity 79: GOAL! Lookman doubles Atletico’s lead on the rebound to seal the win Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez to Amazon Prime: “I have to control myself a lot, but sometimes it’s a reflection of how our club is at the moment. “We had a fantastic season last season and now we expect more from the top, from upstairs, to bring in more players to compete because many teams have brought in many players as well.
“Atletico have an amazing team and they deserve to win today.” On whether he expected more investment in the squad over the summer: “Yes, 100 per cent. “I expect more from our technical director. I have to be honest. And also, as a player, we have to do more.
“It’s also important to build a strong squad to be ready for this kind of night.” On where the club should have invested more: “In general. In general. I think last season we did everything. “We created the base to build an amazing team.
But this is something, to be honest, and to prove something. It’s annoying and disappointing coming here. “I’m not seeing my team trying to get an amazing result here. It’s disappointing.” On whether Michael Carrick was sufficiently backed in the transfer window: “I don’t think so.
I don’t think so. He does his best. “But every season is different. You can’t stay with what you did last season.
Teams know you, how you play. Teams know every detail, and if you don’t change next season, it’s a big problem.” Asked if a change at manager is the answer: “You start changing, changing, changing managers. But what about other areas [looking upwards]? “Because also tonight it’s easy to say the coach, it’s easy to say the players.
But also we have to look at other areas.” Man Utd head coach Michael Carrick: “Well, I haven’t seen the interview. I’ve half heard about it in the other interviews I’ve done. “I think it’s a little bit on the emotions of the game as well, coming here and being disappointed not to get something from the game. “Straight after a game for me is not the time to talk about that interview because I haven’t seen it, so I can’t really comment on that.
“But I think it’s important for us to move forward quickly, really. I think there’s a big game on Sunday, and it’s really important that we move forward and we stay focused on that. “There’s disappointment within the group. I’m bitterly disappointed in certain things, and the boys are as well as a group.” Everyone has heard a Manchester United fan voicing the criticisms made by Lisandro Martinez.
It is another thing entirely to see a player doing it. Many of those fans will see Martinez’s comments as a necessary intervention to address an issue which long pre-dates INEOS’ involvement at Old Trafford but has certainly not been helped by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority investment. Others, like Wayne Rooney, will question the player’s motives. Martinez has entered the final year of his contract and cannot claim to have done enough to have earned another.
Perhaps he has been told as much. Players who speak out publicly like this do not tend to last long. Cristiano Ronaldo called out the Glazers in 2022 in his famous Piers Morgan interview and left United within a week. Martinez’s compatriot Cristian Romero criticised Spurs’ hierarchy in January in an Instagram post and was gone by the summer.
Irrespective of Martinez’s motivation, it is hard to argue with his point. United set Carrick up for a fall by failing to sign a left-back or a striker over the summer. The midfield rebuild that was hyped up for many months before the summer has not lived up to expectation either. It is hard to understand quite what the plan is at United looking back at the last few years.
United have had three managers in that window of time. Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick. All with different approaches that bear little resemblance to the other. Martinez’s comments will not help Carrick.
But given the sense of hopelessness that has engulfed the fanbase, you can understand why some will welcome his comments. Martinez is right in saying United’s issues stretch far beyond the manager. Leeds (A) – Premier League – Sunday October 18, live on Sky Sports Como (A) – Champions League – Wednesday October 21 Bournemouth (H) – Premier League – Sunday October 25, live on Sky Sports Chelsea (A) – Premier League – Saturday October 31 Roma (H) – Champions League – Tuesday November 3 Aston Villa (H) – Premier League – Sunday November 8, live on Sky Sports Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m! Enter for free.
