Anthony Elanga scored an 80th-minute equalizer to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano on Thursday. The result keeps Manchester United alive in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie before the rematch at Old Trafford.
Joao Felix had put Atletico Madrid ahead early in the seventh minute. Anthony Elanga came off the bench to score despite Manchester United looking sluggish for long periods of the match.
Elanga on late equalizer
The 19-year-old Swedish midfielder said after the game that he dreamed of playing in such moments. He emphasized that he wants to repay manager Ralf Rangnick every time he steps onto the pitch.
"I’m always calm. I think that was my first contact. I dreamed of such moments. Whenever I get the opportunity from the team, I want to repay the coach. I want to be the best player on the field. I appreciate my coach," Elanga said.
Champions League final relocation
Off the field, UEFA is expected to change the venue of the Champions League final following recent military developments in Ukraine. UEFA President Alexander Cheferin called an extraordinary Executive Committee meeting for Friday morning, February 25, to decide on a new location.
According to a report by The Athletic, the final will be moved away from St. Petersburg following Russia's military invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation on Thursday, February 24.
The final was originally scheduled to be played at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg, where Zenit plays. Energy giant Gazprom is the main sponsor of the event, and most shares in the company belong to the Russian state.
UEFA statement on Ukraine invasion
UEFA issued a statement expressing grave concern over the situation in Europe and strongly condemning the military invasion of Ukraine. The organization confirmed that decisions regarding the venue will be made by the Executive Committee on Friday.
"UEFA shares the international community’s grave concern about the growing security situation in Europe and strongly condemns Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. As the governing body of European football, UEFA works tirelessly to develop and promote football in line with European values such as peace and respect for human rights, in the spirit of the Olympic principles. We remain steadfast in our solidarity with the football community in Ukraine and stand ready to reach out to the Ukrainian people. We are handling the situation with the utmost seriousness. Decisions will be made by tomorrow Executive Committee."
Thursday's matches in the Europa League, including the game between Real Betis and Zenit, and the Europa Conference League proceeded as normal. UEFA confirmed those fixtures would go ahead as scheduled.
Several seating options are being considered for the Champions League final, including Wembley Stadium in London. However, odds for Wembley are slim because it hosts the Finalissima between European champions Italy and South American champions Argentina four days later, while London Stadium hosts the League Two and Championship playoff finals on May 28 and 29.
Early Atletico pressure and opener
In Madrid, Atletico started the match much stronger than their guests. Joao Felix stepped into the penalty area from the left in the fifth minute and created an opening, but his shot went wide.
The Portuguese striker opened the scoring two minutes later. Victor Lindelof cleared a corner kick, Renan Lodi sent a cross from the left, and Joao Felix moved into the penalty area unprotected to head past David De Gea.
Atletico set up in a 5-4-1 defensive formation and pressed Manchester United in midfield. Manchester United created their first notable chance in the 15th minute when Bruno Fernandez took a shot that hit Stefan Savic in the back and went out for a corner.
The hosts capitalized on misplaced passes in central midfield to launch counterattacks. In the 34th minute, Lodi received a long pass and shot into De Gea's closed corner net while guarded by Lindelof.
Atletico almost doubled their lead in the 45th minute. Following interference in the United defense, Sime Vrsaljko headed a Lodi cross that struck Lindelof in the face, hit the ground, and bounced off the crossbar.
Second half fightback and late chances
In the second half, the game continued at Atletico's rhythm while Manchester United held possession without posing much threat. Marcos Llorente shot wide from outside the penalty area in the 46th minute.
Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick brought Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Nemanja Matic, and Alex Telles off the bench searching for improvement. United continued making misplaced transfers and attempting shots from outside the box before Cristiano Ronaldo sent a free kick wide from a good position in the 79th minute.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone substituted Joao Felix and Renan Lodi shortly before the equalizer. Bruno Fernandez then passed to Elanga, who moved behind the Atletico defense, capitalized as Reinildo fell, and slotted past Jan Oblak to make it 1-1 in the 80th minute.
Antoine Griezmann almost restored Atletico's lead in the 87th minute, but his shot from the right side of the box struck the crossbar. Jesse Lingard had the final chance of the match for Manchester United, but Oblak saved his shot on a second attempt.
Atletico Madrid featured Jan Oblak, Sime Vrsaljko, Jose Gimenez, Stefan Savic, Reinildo, Marcos Llorente, Hector Herrera, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Renan Lodi, Angel Correa, and Joao Felix, with Thomas Lemar coming on as a 76th-minute substitution.
