Manchester United’s Ralf Rangnick says referee made it easy for Atletico to do ‘time-wasting antics’

Ralf Rangnick accused the officials of making it “pretty easy” for Atletico Madrid to run down the clock with their “time-wasting antics” as Manchester United tumbled out of the Champions League.

Three weeks on from securing a scarcely-deserved 1-1 draw in Spain, Old Trafford was rocking as the Red Devils attempted to reach the quarter-finals for just the third time in a decade.

But a bright United start petered out and Renan Lodi put Atleti ahead as half-time approached, with Diego Simeone’s wily, well-drilled side sitting deep and keeping the hosts at bay in a scoreless second half.

The 1-0 win secured the Spanish side’s progress to the quarter-finals and interim boss Rangnick could not hide his frustration with referee Slavko Vincic afterwards.

“I think we played a good first half,” the German said. “All those things that we planned to do in that first half the team did.

“The only thing that we didn’t achieve is convert that energetic performance into the first goal and against a team like Atletico it’s highly important you score the first goal yourself.

“If you don’t do that, then it’s even more important not to concede a goal and we conceded just before half-time that goal in a transitional moment.

“I believe there was a foul on Anthony Elanga before that, but the referee and linesman didn’t see it that way. That’s why we were 1-0 down at half-time.

“I think we shouldn’t have been 1-0 down at half-time. We were the better team in the first half but, as I said, it’s important to score first, even more so against a team like Atletico.

“In the second half, I don’t know if the game was played for more than two minutes without being interrupted with someone lying on the floor.

“I think there were some curious refereeing