Rangnick bemoans 'curious refereeing decisions' and 'timewasting antics' after Atletico loss

Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick lamented "curious refereeing decisions" but stopped short of claiming they were decisive in his team's exit from the Champions League at the hands of Atletico Madrid in Old Trafford tonight.

Renan Lodi's headed goal shortly before half-time condemned Manchester United to a 2-1 aggregate defeat and a fifth successive season without a trophy.

The Old Trafford club has reached the Champions League quarter-final phase just twice since their last final appearance in 2011.

United manager Rangnick told BT Sport: "I think we played a very good first half, exactly the way we wanted to play. A high energy level, most of the game in the first half took place in their half, but unfortunately we couldn't convert that energy into one or two goals. "We had one or two good moments where we should have scored, but we didn't. Then conceding that one counter-attacking goal shortly before half-time didn't make life any easier for us. "The second half was difficult. I don't think the game went for more than three minutes, it was always interrupted, there was always somebody lying on the floor. "There were also some curious refereeing decisions. I wouldn't say they were decisive, but at least he fell too often for those time-wasting antics and, in the end, four minutes extra time was a joke for me.

"We know that they're good at defending leads when they're 1-0 up. We were fully aware that it's important against this team that you score the first goal yourself.

"For me, there was a foul, for sure, on Anthony Elanga (in the lead-up to the goal) but the referee and the linesman didn't see it that way. That was the only really dangerous moment apart from the offside goal.

"Apart from that, we defended well. We