For the second time in a week, United - helped by Elanga - prove they can respond to setbacks
For 80 minutes in the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, it seemed only one result was ever likely.
Atletico Madrid, sharper and more aggressive from the opening seconds, had taken an early lead against Manchester United and never looked anywhere remotely close to being troubled by their visitors, who hadn't managed a single shot on goal.
But this is the Champions League, and this, for all the turbulence of their wretched season, is Manchester United. History shows that as a club, they have an uncanny knack of clinging on in those difficult moments and finding a way to salvage something later on. It's a trait which has shown itself throughout this European campaign - the home game against Villarreal, both matches against Atalanta - and now here, as Anthony Elanga snatched an unlikely equaliser with ten minutes to play in Madrid.
Diego Simeone's side had started quickly, forcing United into ceding possession easily with their feverish pressing. The goal, when it came, was no surprise.
Joao Felix's header was perfect, clipping the post before crossing the line, but United's defending had been lapse. Marcus Rashford had unsuccessfully attempted to chase down Renan Lodi midway through the United half. The Brazilian easily sidestepped him before whipping a cross behind the United backline. Joao Felix was alive to it; Harry Maguire was not. The Portuguese burst past the United captain and into the space which had opened up between him and Raphael Varane, powering the header beyond David De Gea.
Just six minutes had been played, but they set the tone for the rest of the half. Though Atleti were content to sit back after taking the lead, that sense of urgency to close down the space never faded, especially on those rare occasions when United strayed too far beyond halfway. When the visitors did venture forward, they carried little in the way of threat - chances limited to speculative shots from outside of the penalty area. Cristiano Ronaldo, so often the star man against Atleti, cut a frustrated figure throughout, his influence on the game minimal.
The only positive to be gleaned for Ralf Rangnick was that by half-time, it was only a one-goal deficit. Sime Vrsaljko's headed down and onto the crossbar shortly before half-time. There would have been few complaints had he scored.
The early moments of the second half followed largely the same pattern: Atleti the more combative, United offering slightly more but still uneasy and ponderous on the ball. Victor Lindelof, a surprise starter at right-back, looked uncomfortable all night, and was replaced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Paul Pogba had been suffocated in midfield throughout and also made way for Nemanja Matic.
The crucial change, though, came soon after when Rangnick sent on Elanga for Rashford. Five minutes later it paid off when Bruno Fernandes picked up possession in the centre circle, surged forward and slipped the ball perfectly into the stride of the teenage Swede. With Jan Oblak hesitating, Elanga held his nerve, slotting the finish beyond the goalkeeper to draw United level.
https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/1496601228259774479
They had weathered a storm and might have fallen behind again had Antoine Griezmann, himself on as a substitute, not curled his effort onto the crossbar late on. It was hard to make a case that they deserved to leave Madrid with a draw, but this is a result which puts Rangnick in a strong position to see the club through to the quarter finals with the home leg to come at Old Trafford.
Though the overall performance left much to be desired, the fact they came through unscathed can only be viewed as a positive in a season where this United side has regularly wilted at the slightest hint of pressure. Just as they found the strength to come again after surrendering a two-goal lead at Elland Road at the weekend, they showed grit and character in a hostile environment to get the job done. It may not have been pretty, it may not have been deserved, but sometimes - especially in this competition - those things don't matter too much.
Related links:
