Atletico Madrid’s Renan Lodi celebrates with team-mates after scoring against Manchester United.
Manchester: Atletico Madrid knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League and moved into the quarter-finals after a 41st minute header from Brazilian Renan Lodi gave them a 1-0 (2-1 aggregate) win at Old Trafford yesterday.
After a trademark Atletico counter-attack, a clever flick from Joao Felix found Antoine Griezmann whose cross was nodded in at the back post by Lodi.
The goal had come against the run of play with United creating the better chances, although Felix had seen an earlier effort disallowed for offside for the visitors. United poured forward after the break in search of an equaliser but there was little design or craft to their attacks and the disciplined Spanish defence held firm for the victory that sends them into the last eight.
Meanwhile, in Amsterdam, striker Darwin Nunez headed home a 77th-minute winner as Benfica grabbed a shock 1-0 victory over Ajax to secure a surprise quarter-final place. The Uruguayan striker rose above the Ajax defence to score from a free kick in a rare attack for the Portuguese club, who put up a stout defensive performance at the Johan Cruyff Arena to advance 3-2 on aggregate.
Benfica's veteran centre back pair of Jan Vertonghen and Nicolas Otamendi were a defensive wall that Ajax were unable to break down, despite dominating possession and constantly attacking the visitors' goal.
The Dutch club had won all their group games and, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the last-16 tie in Lisbon last month, were expected to ease through to the last eight with home advantage in the second leg.
ROUND OF 16
Ajax 0 -1 Benfica (Agg 2-3)
Manchester United 0 - 1 Atlético Madrid (Agg 1-2)
