Ralf Rangnick has already been warned about Manchester United selection risk vs Atletico Madrid

If it weren't for the heroics of Anthony Elanga, much more scrutiny would have been levelled at Ralf Rangnick.

Manchester United had been mostly dominated in Spain three weeks ago by an Atletico Madrid side that didn't look to be the daunting threat they used to be. Yet, despite being well off the pace in their La Liga title defence and losing to the bottom club a week prior, the Atleti of old roared back to life as they took the game to their opponents in the opening leg of the Champions League last 16 tie.

Joao Felix excellently nodded them ahead after just six minutes and with the number of great chances they went on to create United should have been dead in the water by the time the 80th minute rolled around. But, largely thanks to David de Gea, United managed to hold on long enough for Elanga to be sent through on goal and score into the far corner with his first touch.

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It was a magic moment and one that has changed the complexion of the tie entirely. Had Atletico won at home they would have been able to go to Manchester and in classic style sit deep, frustrate United and attempt to block them out for 90 minutes.

Now they will go to an Old Trafford that is certain to be bouncing and knowing they will have to come out themselves if they want to avoid the tie going the distance. From being in a dominant position, the mood has swung and now United feel more confident.

Elanga's strike not only kept United's hopes of making it into the quarter-finals much more realistic but it helped take a lot of potential criticism away from Rangnick, too. Much to everyone's surprise, the interim manager made the strange decision to start Victor Lindelof at