Varun Pai
Manchester United fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo avoids Lionel Messi’s PSG in UEFA Champions League Round of 16 to draw Atletico Madrid
There are sure to be fireworks in Europe’s premier competition this season as Manchester United have drawn Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.
The Red Devils had a nervy group stage draw this season. They had to face Atalanta, BSC Young Boys, and Villarreal, with the latter defeating us in the UEFA Europa League final last season.
However, thanks to the hard work of the team and some magic by Cristiano Ronaldo, Man United sealed the top spot. This meant we would be facing a runner-up from another group. We were initially set to face PSG but a re-draw had to take place after there was a technical error in the original draw. But the re-draw has not been any kinder on us, as we are set to face La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.
Toughest draw?
The Spanish giants have had a varied history in the competition in the last decade. Diego Simeone has led his side to 2 UCL finals in the last 7 years. Their hard-working and dedicated side is often a tough match for the best of oppositions. Ralf Rangnick will need to prepare an elaborate game plan to thwart the Argentinian mastermind.
Atletico have quite a history with English clubs as well. They defeated Chelsea in the semi-final of the 2013/14 UCL campaign to seal a spot in the final. They also beat Liverpool in the 2019/20 season in the Round of 16, at a time when the Reds looked unstoppable. However, both clubs have taken their revenge on the Spanish club, with the Blues beating them in the last-16 last season, before Jurgen Klopp’s men defeated them twice in the group stage in the current campaign.
Man United have struggled against defensively stringent sides, evidenced by their failure to win against BSC Young Boys in both games. They also had a tough time against Villarreal, but sealed victories after the Yellow Submarine failed to punish our mistakes. Atletico are likely to be more ruthless.
This game would also see the return of Luis Suarez to England. The former Liverpool star has had run-ins with the Red Devils in the past, quite notably his feud with Patrick Evra. He would be looking to hurt us again as he is ageing like fine wine at the Spanish capital. However, we too have Cristiano Ronaldo, who has a great record of scoring against the Simeone-led side. He has often scored against them in the UCL.
There is a lot at stake going into this fixture, and it is bound to be a rip-roaring tie. Let us now see how some of our fans reacted on Twitter to Man United drawing the European giants.
https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1470396621955469313 https://twitter.com/_DAVlES/status/1470396653819600906 https://twitter.com/ronaldo_goat___/status/1470396972179755010 https://twitter.com/1Unitedforlife/status/1470397066060914690 https://twitter.com/Cristianosign/status/1470396736837324801 https://twitter.com/RounakThadani/status/1470396688598663168 https://twitter.com/clinicalbruno18/status/1470396739341500425 https://twitter.com/HassanNatha/status/1470398003546570761More Manchester United News
- PSG and Olympique Lyon join the race to sign Manchester United star Anthony Martial
- The Glazers ready to make Ajax boss Erik Ten Hag next Manchester United manager due to one major factor
- Transfer News: Manchester United ace Edinson Cavani ready to accept reduced salary to join Barcelona in January
Once Again.. pic.twitter.com/Gh2S9QbCJH
— ڤامب (@zV2mp) December 13, 2021
