Atletico Madrid triumphed 2-0 over Manchester United in their Champions League showdown.
The Madrid side collected their first points in the competition, further extending their unbeaten record against the Manchester outfit to five matches, and they celebrated their tenth win across the last twelve games in group stage action.
Manager Michael Carrick's team had a shaky start, conceding just 53 seconds in when Pablo Barrios struck after a smart assist from Alex Baena. Atletico doubled their advantage in the second half through Ademola Lookman, while United finished the match with ten men following the red card shown to Leni Yoro.
Atletico made a swift start
The home side took full advantage of defensive lapses from United almost immediately. Alex Baena slipped behind the backline, darted into a dangerous area, and set up Barrios, who found the net despite Aiden Heven's best efforts on the line.
Manchester United gradually found their rhythm and created several dangerous opportunities. Bryan Mbeumo had two good chances to draw level, but Atletico's keeper Jan Oblak was equal to the task. A corner saw Oblak deny Carlos Balebe, who was making his first start.
Shortly after, Alejandro Grimaldo's free-kick rattled the woodwork. Just before half-time, Atletico thought they had doubled their lead with a goal from Johnny Cardoso, only for it to be ruled out after a video review found Marcos Llorente had handled the ball in the build-up.
United squandered their chances
After the break, Atletico continued to look for a second goal. A brilliant pass from Barrios set Julian Alvarez free, but his shot struck the post.
United quickly responded through a break of their own, as Youri Tielemans sent the ball into space for Bruno Fernandes, whose attempted chip over Oblak was slightly off target.
Fernandes was increasingly involved and later sent a powerful shot towards goal, which again found the crossbar with twenty minutes remaining.
Yoro's red card and Lookman's goal sealed the result
United's hopes of salvaging something from the match took a significant blow when Leni Yoro was sent off. The defender's challenge on Jonathan David was reviewed, and the referee deemed Yoro had denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity, which sparked debate over the decision.
Atletico quickly capitalised on their numerical advantage. A shot from David was saved by keeper Senne Lammens, but the rebound fell to Lookman, who tucked it away into an empty net.
With the game slipping away, Carrick withdrew Bruno Fernandes, possibly to preserve him for their upcoming derby against Leeds. Manchester United continue their search for their first away win in the league this season.
For Atletico, it was a satisfying victory, marking their entry into the points in the Champions League group stage. Meanwhile, United have pressing issues in defence to address, compounded by Yoro's dismissal.
