Limp exit extends Man United misery

Expensive mediocrity confirmed: Manchester United's trophy drought completes a fifth season.

The last path to a title was ended at an Old Trafford now accustomed to letdowns as United was knocked out of the Champions League in a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

In a tight and tense game, Renan Lodi made the difference by scoring his first goal in the competition in his 25th appearance, meeting Antoine Griezmann's cross with a header after being left unmarked at the far post by defender Diogo Dalot in the 41st minute.

"I wasn't playing a few months ago, but everything has changed now and I'm very happy with that,"23-year-old left wing-back Lodi said. "It's a tough role. I'm working at it, learning."

Cristiano Ronaldo left Old Trafford before Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and the malaise kicked in. The 37-year-old star returned this season－after collecting trophies at Real Madrid and Juventus－to be the difference-maker.

However, rather than dazzling, as he did with Saturday's hat-trick against Tottenham, Ronaldo didn't manage a single shot against the Spanish champion.

Instead, United was left relying on defender Raphael Varane attempting to equalize in the second half, and his header was kept out by Jan Oblak. United could find no way past the goalkeeper three weeks after a 1-1 draw in Madrid that counted for nothing with away goals no longer carrying an advantage under new competition rules.

"For me, Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world," Atletico captain Koke said. "He's shown it once again tonight."

Atletico showed the blueprint to grab a win away, by scoring from one of only three shots on target.

"We suffered when we had to and hit when we had the chance here at a great stadium, against a great team," said Rodrigo De Paul.

Diego Simeone, a two-time Champions League runner-up, leads Atletico back into the quarterfinals like in 2020. Europe is the platform for Atletico to raise its game this season, with the team clinging onto fourth place domestically.

"We wanted to show tonight that we're a really tough side to play against," Griezmann said. "We wanted to be at this level more consistently and go forward."

United goes backward, with only two appearances in the Champions League quarterfinals in a decade.

Not since the 1970s has United gone as long without a trophy with the second-tier Europa League in 2017 the last honor for English soccer's most successful club.

There's not much to show for more than $1 billion in transfer spending since the two-time Champions League winner Ferguson retired as manager nine years ago.

Such is the instability at United that it's an interim coach in Ralf Rangnick who has presided over United's exits from the FA Cup and Champions League early in 2022.

"The second half was difficult," said the German. "I don't think the game went for more than three minutes, it was always interrupted, there was always somebody lying on the floor.

"There were also some curious refereeing decisions. I wouldn't say they were decisive, but at least he fell too often for those time-wasting antics and, in the end, four minutes extra time was a joke for me."

Now the priority is just regaining fourth spot in the Premier League to return to the Champions League next season for whoever is in charge of United.

Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax's Erik ten Hag have both been strongly linked with the Old Trafford hot seat.

However, speaking after Tuesday's game, former United midfielder Paul Scholes said he would like to see either Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel or Tottenham manager Antonio Conte appointed.

"Possibly it looks like he (Tuchel) might be available at the end of the year," said Scholes.

"Those two are top-class elite coaches who I think strike fear into players and win which is the most important thing."

Agencies via Xinhua