Streetwise Atletico hustle guileless Red Devils out of CL

The last path to a title was ended at an Old Trafford now accustomed to letdowns as United was knocked out of the Champions League in a 1-0 loss to Atlético Madrid on Tuesday.

In a tight and tense game, Renan Lodi made the difference by scoring his first goal in the competition in his 25th appearance, meeting Antoine Griezmann’s cross with a header after being left unmarked at the far post by defender Diogo Dalot in the 41st minute.

“I wasn’t playing a few months ago, but everything has changed now and I’m very happy with that,” the 23-year-old left wingback Lodi said. “It’s a tough role. I’m working at it, learning.”

So often the team’s savior, David de Gea was beaten. The goalkeeper feels the pain more, being the only starter still in the team from the end of the trophy-filled Alex Ferguson era in 2013.

“Of course it’s not good enough,” De Gea said. “It’s hard for the club, for us and the fans. This is where we are at the moment. It is a difficult situation, but we have to keep fighting.”

Cristiano Ronaldo departed Old Trafford before Ferguson retired and the malaise kicked in. The 37-year-old star returned this season — after collecting trophies at Real Madrid and Juventus — to be the difference-maker.

Rather than dazzling, as he did with Saturday’s hat trick against Tottenham, Ronaldo didn’t manage a single shot against the Spanish champions.

Instead, United was left relying on defender Raphaël Varane attempting to equalize in the second half, and his header was kept out by Jan Oblak. United could find no way past the goalkeeper three weeks after a 1-1 draw in Madrid that counted for nothing with away-goals no longer carrying an advantage.

Not since the 1970s has United gone as long without a trophy with the second-tier Europa League in 2017 the last honor for, historically at least, English football’s most successful club.

Not since the 1970s has United gone as long without a trophy with the second-tier Europa League in 2017 the last honor for, historically at least, English football’s most successful club.