Manchester United suffered a 2‑0 defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano, with Atletico Madrid taking the win after a controversial red card to United’s Leny Yoro. The loss extends the Red Devils’ winless streak to five matches across all competitions, leaving them with only three points in the Champions League group stage.
Atletico opened the scoring in the 47th second, exploiting a simple ball over the top that allowed Alex Baena to deliver a cross to Pablo Barrios, who finished past United’s goalkeeper. The early goal set a tense tone for the hosts, who were already under pressure from a disallowed goal by Johnny Cardoso just before half‑time. Cardoso’s strike was ruled out after a review showed that Marcos Llorente had handled the ball with his arm in an unnatural position during the build‑up.
United’s attempts to level were frustrated by a number of missed chances. Bryan Mbeumo’s deflected shot went wide, and captain Bruno Fernandes hit the bar after a promising break. Despite these opportunities, United could not find the back of the net and remained second best on the pitch.
The turning point came in the second half when Leny Yoro was sent off in the 74th minute following an on‑field review by referee Glenn Nyberg. The decision came after Yoro was judged to have denied Atletico’s Jonathan David a clear goal‑scoring chance during a collision inside United’s half. The red card was met with criticism from United’s coach, who described the decision as “soft” and “unfair.” The dismissal left United a man down for the final 15 minutes.
With the advantage, Atletico’s Ademola Lookman sealed the victory with a goal five minutes after Yoro’s sending off. Lookman’s strike, coming from a substitute appearance, confirmed Diego Simeone’s side’s dominance and left United with a heavy defeat in Madrid.
United will look to regroup before their next fixtures, which include a Premier League away game against Leeds on Sunday, a Champions League away match against Como on Wednesday, and a home league game against Bournemouth on Sunday. The loss in Madrid adds to the scrutiny on manager Michael Carrick as the team prepares to face Leeds in the league and continues to battle for a place in the Champions League knockout stages.