ELANGA ELATION
Atletico Madrid 1 Man Utd 1: Sub Anthony Elanga keeps cool to rescue smash-and-grab draw after early Joao Felix header
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER is long gone but there is a new super-sub in town – Anthony Elanga.
Just last Sunday he came on with Fred and the pair scored a goal apiece to seal a 4-2 win at Elland Road.
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Tonight in Madrid the 19-year-old Swede had been on the pitch just five minutes when he latched on to Bruno Fernandes through ball to grab an 80th-minute equaliser.
It was a massive moment in this last-16 Champions League encounter which, up until that point, the Spanish champions looked to have under control.
Now United have to be favourites going into the second leg at Old Trafford in three weeks' time.
The atmosphere at Elland Road on Sunday had certainly prepared United well for what they were facing here at the Wanda Metropolitano.
No matter how they are doing, the visit of this club is still something special for whoever hosts them such is their standing and history in the game.
So the ground was packed, and the music boomed out before kick-off and the lights flashed.
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Atletico’s new stadium is one of the best in the world.
A team that has also come heartbreakingly close to winning the Champions League both in 2014 and 2016.
Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo denied them on both occasions which probably explains why Ralf Rangnick said pre-game that some players would not be getting a red carpet reception here.
He had also warned of the physical approach of their opponents built in the same mould of their coach Diego Simeone.
Someone for whom the technical area simply is not big enough such is his desire to be still out there kicking every ball still now 16 years after hanging up his boots.
Despite winning LaLiga last season this campaign has been underwhelming but they still possess a threat to anyone coming here and one United could not handle in the first period.
They were behind after just seven minutes when Renan Lodi’s whipped cross was met perfectly by Joao Felix's diving header, the ball going in off the inside of the near post.
Even David De Gea, back in his birthplace, was getting nowhere near that.
It could have been two right on half-time.
Lodi’s deflected cross found Sime Vrsaliyko whose header bounced off Victor Lindelof and hit the post before Paul Pogba cleared.
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United had not had an effort on target when the half-time whistle blew.
Ronaldo was barely getting a touch.
Bruno Fernades, so influential on Sunday, was unable to weave his web.
Quite simply they were struggling against superior opponents.
It has been some time since United were feared on this stage, certainly not tonight.
There was a real lack of intensity for a game of such importance.
Still, at 1-0, they were hanging on in.
The second half opened up with a long-range shot from Felix that was deflected wide.
Marcus Rashford had a go with an attempted worldie of his own but the 40-yard effort flew way over the bar.
There was danger at the other end when Angel Correa was found too easily in the box but his shot was charged down by Raphael Varane.
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He would then get forward to have a shot of his own charged down before a foul by Rashford brought him a yellow card.
Rangnick has been praised for his substitutions of late.
Two of them on Sunday, Fred and Anthony Elanga, paid dividends to win it at Elland Road.
Tonight he brought on three in the 67th minute.
It had always seemed off to start Victor Lindelof at right-back and he was withdrawn for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Pogba was off too for Nemanja Matic and bizarrely Luke Shaw was off for Alex Telles.
Soon after he made another with Sunday’s hero Elanga on for Rashford.
It certainly needed something to liven up a very flat United side.
Indeed for a game of such importance, it was all incredibly flat.
It was almost as if both sides felt 1-0 was a scoreline they could live with before the return leg.
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ANT GRAB
If anyone was going to alter the scoreline it looked like being Atletico although Geoffrey Kongdogbla’s 30-yard volley proved ambitious as it sailed high over the bar.
Then on 78 minutes, there was a chance for United when Fred was fouled five yards outside the area.
Ronaldo who had scored so many across town for Real lined up the free-kick.
But he just does not score from these dead ball situations anymore and his effort flew well over to the delight of the Atletico fans.
Then in a flash, the whole tie turned to the delight of the travelling faithful.
United broke, Fernandes found Elanga and his finish from an angle on the right was perfect, past the goalkeeper and just inside the far post.
Atletico responded and sub Antoine Griezmann had a curling left-foot shot crash against the bar.
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United would hold on.
Not a great game, but a great result.
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