Atletico Madrid proved there’s life left in La Liga yet when they knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening, winning the tie 2-1 on aggregate.
Los Rojiblancos had outplayed the Premier League side in the first leg at the Wanda Metropolitano but only managed to come away with a 1-1 draw. Joao Felix had given them the lead only for Anthony Elanga to equalise for United inside the final ten minutes.
But no such equaliser came on Tuesday. This time it was Brazilian wing-back Renan Lodi who scored the decisive goal, scoring a back-post header four minutes before the half-time break.
The result is huge for Atletico given how trying their season has been. Despite their status as La Liga champions they’ve failed to impress and find themselves battling for a place in the top four rather than the title. But now, thanks to a tough and resilient performance, they can dream of European glory.
“Continuing in this competition that we really want to go far in is incredible,” Koke said post-match in comments carried by Marca. “This year we are experiencing an irregular season and being in the quarter-final is important.
“[We were superior] for the entire tie. In the first leg we deserved the victory and given the effort that the team has made today, especially in the first half, we were deserved winners. Football, in the end, is a game of streaks. It’s been hard for us to hit the right note but we’re getting there. Everything is about how the season ends and there’s still a lot of football left to be played.”
