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Underperformed: Paul Pogba
Following his return from injury, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been performing consistently for the Red Devils in the Premier League. Last night in the Champions League, he went up against one of the most dogged teams in the business and got a harsh reality check.
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Atletico’s midfielders did not let Pogba settle on the ball, pressing him out of play every time he touched it. The former Juventus man only achieved 76.3 percent passing accuracy on the night, which was sub-par for a player of his caliber.
He failed to attempt even a single shot, lost nine ground duels, and lost possession 17 times.
The Frenchman was outsmarted, outmuscled, and outplayed by the Atletico players, and was ultimately taken off just past the hour mark.
Performed: Anthony Elanga
Nineteen-year-old Anthony Elanga was undoubtedly Manchester United’s standout performer on Wednesday night. While the likes of Marcus Rashford struggled to take the fight to Atletico, the fearless teenager got to work right away.
His direct approach and willingness to get on the scoresheet paid dividends just five minutes after he was introduced, courtesy of Fernandes’ slide-rule pass.
Latching on to Fernandes’ ball from midfield, Elanga kept his cool to place his shot across goal, beating Atletico keeper Jan Oblak comprehensively.
Elanga’s performance against Atletico should serve as a wake-up call for the players above him in the pecking order.
Their continuous failure in the biggest matches might compel Rangnick to give Elanga a place in the starting XI, sooner rather than later.
Underperformed: Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo, the top goalscorer (804 goals) in the history of the sport, locked horns with a familiar foe on Wednesday night. Atletico Madrid, a team he has scored two Champions League hat-tricks against, were once again standing in his way in his favorite competition.
The world held its breath in anticipation of seeing Ronaldo weave his magic in Manchester United’s colors. Sadly, all the Portuguese could manage was repeated grunts of desperation.
Diego Simeone’s plan was as simple as they come. He isolated the Portuguese superstar, making sure no United player could feed him with inviting balls in and around the area. Without proper supply, Ronaldo failed to trouble Los Rojiblancos’ defense, registering zero shots on target (two attempts).
He also did not register a single key pass, lost all three of his aerial duels, and rarely popped up in threatening areas.
It was one of the 37-year-old’s most disappointing performances for the Red Devils this season.
