Manchester United extended their winless run to five matches, suffering a 0-2 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
The scoring was opened by Pablo Barrios just 50 seconds into the match. In the second half, the Manchester side was reduced to ten men following the dismissal of Leni Yoro, after which Ademola Lookman doubled Atletico's lead. Head coach Diego Simeone shared how his team managed to break the resistance of their opponents.
"We were fortunate to start the game actively, with the first goal coming early. It was a good combination. We knew they would press high, and they do it well, but we were aware that if we could bypass their initial press, we could find ourselves in critical positions. We understood we could hurt them on the flanks. We had chances to extend the lead. They had one dangerous moment in the first half, but we performed better overall and created more opportunities. The team was always looking for more."
During the match, fans booed striker Julian Alvarez, who saw a summer transfer to Barcelona blocked by the club’s hierarchy. Simeone came to the defence of his player.
"What the fans do is based on what the players provide. They want to see the best from the players, and Julian is delivering that. He had a chance to score today. He is getting closer to being the player we want to see. We need him."
Simeone also praised midfielder Johnny Cardoso, who has returned to form following a summer ankle operation.
"He is in very good shape. In our match against Real Sociedad, he came off the bench and started playing at a high level. We need this player; he's exactly the type of player the club sought to sign."
Pressure is mounting on Michael Carrick ahead of a crucial away trip to Leeds United. The tense situation at Manchester United has been compounded by recent criticism of the club’s hierarchy from Lisandro Martinez.
