Benfica Lisbon has reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in six years. The 37-time Portuguese champions happily won the round of 16 second leg 1-0 (0-0) and managed the surprise. Darwin Nunez scored the decisive goal (77th). Amsterdam dominated from the start and at times squeezed the guests in their own half, but the hosts didn’t create any great chances.
Lisbon defended skillfully but rarely put pinpricks. Ajax was also superior after the change, but too harmless. There was little to see of the splendor of the two wins against Borussia Dortmund in the preliminary round. Sebastien Haller, who had always scored in the first seven games in the premier class, was largely unsubscribed. Lisbon rarely advanced but took the first chance to take the lead. Nunez headed in from a free kick.
On the other hand, the evening was disappointing for Ralf Rangnick and Cristiano Ronaldo: The English record champions Manchester United missed out on reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The “Red Devils” coached by Rangnick lost 1-0 (0-1) against Atlético Madrid and were eliminated after the 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Good start for United
At Old Trafford, Renan Lodi’s 41st-minute header sealed Atlético Madrid’s victory. That was the end of the Champions League round of 16 for Christiano Ronaldo for the third time in a row. The five-time world footballer, who had shone with three goals in the 3-2 win over Tottenham at the weekend, remained pale this time. Ronaldo had already failed with Juventus in the last two seasons in the first knockout round of the premier class.
Man United had found their way into the game well. Ralf Rangnick’s team put on a lot of pressure and had a great chance to take the lead through Anthony Elanga, but Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak saved the ball from close range with his head (13′). Although Atlético played less, they were always dangerous. A shot by Rodrigo de Paul was fished out of the corner by Manchester goalkeeper David de Gea (16′), and Joao Felix’s goal had just been ruled offside (34′). After that, Lodi was there with a header. In the second half, the hosts tried in vain to equalize.
This threatens the successful club from Manchester a disappointing season. The FA and League Cup ended early and United is only fifth in the league, which would no longer be enough for the premier class. Since taking office three and a half months ago, Rangnick has subordinated everything to success. It wasn’t about “implementing my kind of football no matter what,” the coach told the Amazon Prime Video streaming service before the game. First and foremost, it was important “to be successful and to score as many points as possible,” Rangnick continued.
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