Atletico vs Man United: Lookman daggers 10-man Red Devils as Carrick's struggles continues

Ademola Lookman continued his habit of scoring in big games for Atletico Madrid, coming off the bench to score against Manchester United, spurring Rojiblancos to a 2-0 victory.

The Matchday Two Champions League clash at Wanda Metropolitano saw Diego Simeone's side get off to a blistering start with Pablo Barrios's first-minute goal.

Atlético maintained the quality and found the back of the net a second time through Johnny Cardoso, but a handball in the build-up saw the goal ruled out.

Lookman, who has struggled with form recently, would eventually double the lead in the second-half capitalising on the gaps in the United defence after Lenny Yoro was sent off for a last-man foul on Jonathan David,

The match was turned on its head before many fans had even taken their seats. In the very first minute, Atlético midfielder Pablo Barrios found the back of the net, giving the hosts a dream start following a quick VAR review to confirm the goal.

United struggled to regain their composure against Atlético's organised 4-4-2 setup, with defenders Cristian Romero and Dávid Hancko completely shutting down the visitors' attacking threats in the first half.

The situation deteriorated further for Manchester United in the second half. Despite making several aggressive substitutions around the hour mark, including the introductions of Amad Diallo, Mason Mount, and Joshua Zirkzee, United were dealt a fatal blow in the 74th minute. 

Defender Leny Yoro was shown a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity, leaving his team to navigate the final stretch with just 10 men.

Simeone's substitutes immediately ruthlessly exploited the numerical advantage. Nigerian international Ademola Lookman, who had replaced Álex Baena in the 70th minute, proved to be the difference-maker. 

In the 79th minute, Lookman combined brilliantly with fellow substitute Jonathan David to score Atlético's second goal, emphatically sealing the 2-0 win and effectively ending any hopes of a United comeback.