The most important game of the season, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo was about to make history. For the first time in over a decade, he played 90 minutes in the Champions League without scoring a goal. For the first time in over a decade, he will finish the season without a club trophy. More reference points for this historical summary.
It will take a distant perspective of history to confidently place Ronaldo in his rightful place in the pantheon of football greats, but tonight it seemed that most of the key aspects of his resume had already been decided. Yes, the number of goals will increase, and there will probably be a few more games when he rolls back years, as he did against Tottenham on Saturday. He shouldn’t be written off as a football force here and now, but it’s now painfully obvious that his true greatness is in the past.
Today he did everything he could to drag it into the present. Ronaldo was not even remotely the worst player for United. Especially in the beginning, he played assertively and intensely. One moment he could move to the left to team up with Jadon Sancho, the next he was on the right flank, freeing Anthony Elanga to move into the box. If Atlético Madrid were going to fill the area, they were going to do everything they could to get them out of there.
In that impressive first third of the game, so easily forgotten in the quagmire that followed, United and Ronaldo moved freely, interacting quickly and hissing down the flanks. Then came the failure: the defensive line was passed too easily, Harry Maguire crashed into a no-man’s zone, Diogo Dalot tried to score three players at once. Renan Lodi struck, and with him, United’s sense of stability and all faith in the plan, which they executed quite impressively, disappeared.
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This is not Ronaldo. And not only is he responsible for the fact that, when their chips were low, United did what they and Juventus had done before them in this kind of game, they were hoping to hit in the general direction of the FIFA recognized top scorer in stories. Surrounded on the right side in the 66th minute, Bruno Fernandes, seemingly so inhibited by his compatriot in the colors of Manchester United and Portugal, threw a desperate cross into the box in the hope that there might be someone there.
Alex Telles also chased ball after ball in his direction. As time went on, it seemed like that was all this tastelessly talented team could think of: trust in Ronaldo’s overwhelming narrative power. He will bail them out in the playoff rounds as he did in the group stages, as he did for Juventus with a spectacular bike kick against that team.
This does not work.
Cristiano Ronaldo touches Atlético Madrid TruMedia/STATS
The main statistic is the first European match without a shot in 3,969 days since the draw with Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Ronaldo didn’t even come close. He didn’t even get a touch in the field. This in itself breaks a six-year streak in this competition, starting with a group stage game against PSG.
Atlético Madrid played him without fear, which is important for a team that suffered so much under his feet. After a shaky start, Jan Oblak was domineering under those desperate awnings. Every fight in which Jose Maria Jimenez participated, he won. Maguire also blocked Ronaldo well on set pieces.
Diego Simeone and his players will never forget the many devastating blows they received from Ronaldo in this competition and beyond. But when all the pre-match talk was about the history of these two, Atlético remained here and now. Within 180 minutes, he was limited to two speculative shots from outside the penalty area and one touch of the ball inside it.
Atlético may have been a great batting boy for Ronaldo in this competition, but they can still take solace in the fact that they ended his career in this competition. Now almost every summer brings uncertainty about the 37-year-old and his future. However, these are the facts. Manchester United are out of the Champions League and will need a significant change in trajectory to get back into it in the second year of his contract. Arsenal have every chance of a clean streak, even after losing at the weekend, Tottenham’s chances to beat the Gunners are comparable to those of the Red Devils.
Ronaldo dreams of the Europa League? He should. Thursday nights are great entertainment and music. Will the other team be inclined to let him increase his records in this competition? Paris Saint-Germain may be the only club with potential storylines like Old Trafford, and little better than bringing Lionel Messi and Ronaldo together for one last shot at glory.
But that’s kind of the territory we’re in right now. The beginning of the end could very well have been some time ago. As far as we know, the end of Ronaldo and the Champions League has just happened.