A first-half header from Renan Lodi was enough to take Atletico Madrid into the last eight of the Champions League against a Manchester United side who played well enough but ultimately lacked a killer instinct at both ends of the pitch.
They did not look like potential winners of the trophy, but no side will fancy facing them in the next round.
United were the better side in an entertaining first half and should have taken the lead through Anthony Elanga, but his shot hit Jan Oblak on the head.
Gradually, though, Atleti enjoyed more of the ball, having a goal disallowed when Marcos Llorente went fractionally early before teeing up Joao Felix, and then on 41 minutes, Lodi headed home Antoine Griezmann’s cross in the midst of more dreadful United defending.
After the break United were again the better side, but struggled to create much in the way of clearcut chances while always looking penetrable on the break.
They have a lot of work to do both now if they are to reach this competition again, then in the summer, to avoid simply making up the numbers. Neither of these things seem likely.
