Manchester United out of Champions League after Atlético Madrid triumph

Ralf Rangnick was asked after Manchester United’s victory over Tottenham on Saturday whether he thought his team could win the Champions League. It was all he could do not to laugh. After the funeral, in his words, that was the derby defeat at Manchester City the previous weekend, the question did not make sense, according to the interim manager.

Perhaps it is the hope that gets to people. Or the reality that United are a club that only seems to deal in the wildest of extremes. This was the night when it all came crashing back down, United’s flickers of promise ground into the dust by Atlético Madrid and the team given an extremely familiar sinking feeling on Europe’s grandest stage.

United have progressed only twice in the Champions League knockout rounds since their run to the final in 2011 and, in the final analysis over these two legs, they did not do enough. Trailing to Renan Lodi’s goal before half-time, they were charged with prising Atlético apart in the second half and they barely threatened.

United knew their season was on the line. The battle for a top-four Premier League finish endures but what is the point of that if not to make an assault on the Champions League knockout rounds? The potential for glory had been in front of them and everybody inside Old Trafford could feel it – the excitement mixing with the nerves. The atmosphere pulsed.

The hosts were keen to set the right tone, getting on to the front foot and firing up the crowd, even if was always going to be a balancing act. Rangnick had to be wary of Atlético’s counters, which was part of the reason why he went for Scott McTominay and Fred in front of the back four.

One thing that could be said without fear of contradiction was that United’s opening