Manchester United’s night in Madrid was effectively decided inside a minute. Pablo Barrios put Atlético Madrid ahead after just 53 seconds at the Metropolitano, Ademola Lookman added a second late on, and a red card for Leny Yoro left United to see out the game with 10 men in a 2-0 Champions League defeat. It extended what the club has suffered this season as its worst start in 40 years.
Michael Carrick had said beforehand that he had seen the reaction in his players, and that they would embrace the challenge in Madrid. He was sure it was coming. Instead United were behind almost immediately, and what followed was less a rebellion than a kind of resignation — a game that began badly, barely improved, and finished worse. There was more than one moment that could be offered in mitigation, Yoro’s late dismissal among them, but the sense was of a team that no longer looked like it was supposed to.
For the opening goal, no one in a United shirt was really where they needed to be. Lee Kang-in’s pass released Álex Baena into wide-open space on the left, with nobody closing him down as he cut into the area, and nobody tracking Barrios as he ran through on the right. Baena laid the ball back across and Barrios struck it first time; Ayden Heaven scrambled across and got something on it, but not decisively, and the ball came off him and into the net.
Barrios celebrated by holding up six fingers, the number worn by club captain Koke, whose mother had passed away in the hours before kick-off. From the Atlético bench, Koke’s shirt was held aloft as the Metropolitano roared. Atlético did not ease off, either, with a Baena effort soon deflecting off Lisandro Martínez.
United did find a foothold and may feel they should have found a way back into the match. Bryan Mbeumo had two clear chances: the first, after neat footwork on the right, went wide; the second, following a sharp exchange with Youri Tielemans after Carlos Baleba had robbed Cristian Romero, was blocked by Jan Oblak at the far post. From the resulting corner, Baleba headed straight at the goalkeeper.
That was short-lived. Atlético reasserted themselves, moving the ball with a pace and conviction United could not match, and although the final pass was often astray, Barrios and Baena could not be controlled and the spaces that opened up were vast. United’s pressing tended to arrive late or not at all, and the contrast on the touchline was stark: both managers wore black, but while Diego Simeone prowled, Carrick stood motionless in the corner, chin in his hand. Simeone was booked for waving an imaginary card. By half-time Atlético had enjoyed 66% of possession and could have led by more — Álex Grimaldo rattled a superb free-kick off the bar, and just before the break Johnny Cardoso swept a shot into the net only for the video assistant referee to spot a Marcos Llorente handball in the buildup.
Early in the second half, a neatly floated ball from Barrios led to a Julián Alvarez volley against the post, the move again played out with too much space and time. Then came United’s best chance to level. Tielemans did well to find Bruno Fernandes, the ball sitting up on the edge of the area with Oblak coming some way off his line — the kind of opening that is supposed to end only one way. United’s captain lifted it past the goalkeeper and a fraction wide of the post. Soon Atlético were back at the other end, Baena bending a shot wide.
On 65 minutes, Marcus Rashford, Tielemans and Baleba made way for Mason Mount, Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee. In truth the change had already begun — nothing radical, just a shift. Atlético appeared to have settled, which perhaps suited United, the threat no longer so present, the ball moved more swiftly and, for the first time, United had it. The lead was still only one. Fernandes was increasingly involved and, after a short corner, swung a shot against the bar.
That was when it fell apart for good. Jonathan David ran through the middle on to a Morten Hjulmand ball, Yoro went with him and the pair fell. Referee Glenn Nyberg did not give a foul on first viewing and allowed the move to play out, David scrambling the ball to Lookman to shoot, but he was called to the screen to review the challenge and returned with a red card in his hand. The decision felt harsh; it was also the end of the contest, the same two players finishing it. A minute later Atlético were running through United again. Grimaldo slotted a pass into David inside the area, his shot was saved by Senne Lammens, and Lookman was there to score. Heaven and Fernandes were withdrawn, and there was nothing left to fight for — another night ending in defeat.