Manchester United take the lead in the 7th minute
The youngest Elanga equalizer… avoid defeat
March 16, the second leg at home… match interest
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo (left) tries to dribble through the opponent’s defense during the first leg of the 2021-2022 UCL round of 16 at Wanda Metropolitano on the 24th in Madrid, Spain. Madrid = Archyde.com
The match between Manchester United (Man United) in the English Premier League (EPL) and Atlético Madrid (AT Madrid) in the Spanish La Liga was held in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16 draw held in December of last year. Then, the eyes of fans around the world turned to Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo (37). Because he was a typical ‘AT Madrid killer’. He scored 25 goals in 35 matches against Att Madrid. As Ronaldo faced Att Madrid again in the UCL tournament, interest was inevitable.
However, the soccer fans who watched the game for 90 minutes in the first game had no choice but to feel the ‘timelessness’. In the first leg of the 2021-2022 UCL Round of 16, held at Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain on the 24th, Ronaldo failed to score after showing helpless. Manchester United overcame a goal early in the match and managed to finish the first leg in a 1-1 draw, but Ronaldo did little to contribute in this process.
On this day, United put Ronaldo at the forefront and deployed young strikers such as Jadon Sancho (22), Bruno Fernandes (28) and Marcus Rashford (25) in the second line to attack AT Madrid. However, Ronaldo was blocked by the opponent’s strong pressure, and rather a frustrating attack continued. He even conceded a goal in the seventh minute of the first half. At Madrid’s flank defender Henang Rosie (24) posted a long cross from the left midfield area, and Joao Felix (23) headed it into a goal.
After that, United pushed to make up for more than 60% of possession, but it did not produce results, such as not being able to record a single shot on target until the middle of the second half. Ronaldo was also consistent with his frustrating performance, barely getting a proper shooting opportunity. The youngest striker Anthony Elanga (20), not Ronaldo, solved this frustration. Elanga, who replaced Rashford in the 30th minute of the second half, received a pass from Fernandes during the counterattack in the 35th minute of the second half and made Manchester United’s first shot on target with a right-footed shot, which led to an equalizer.
Manchester United, who had a difficult 90 minutes amidst Ronaldo’s expected slump, finished the game in a 1-1 draw with a goal from Shin Sung in his 20s. Now, on the 16th of next month, Manchester United will play the second leg of their match against Att Madrid at Old Trafford, Manchester, England. Fortunately, the match ended in a draw in the first leg, so we were able to aim for the quarterfinals more comfortably with the advantage of the home ground.
[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]