MY ACCOUNT
Manchester United did not do enough in either leg to avoid Champions League elimination at the hands of Atletico Madrid, according to David de Gea.
A 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday ended United’s chances of claiming silverware for the season – they have not lifted a trophy since the EFL Cup and Europa League double under Jose Mourinho in 2016-17.
The Red Devils trailed for most of the 1-1 draw in the first leg and struggled to create chances after Renan Lodi put Atletico ahead in the return fixture, with Cristiano Ronaldo failing to register a single shot on goal. It was only the third time that has happened in his Champions League career when featuring for 90 minutes, and the first time since May 2011.
“We are really disappointed with the result. It’s difficult to describe in words how we feel now. We did not [do] enough in both games to win both games. We were not at our best. It’s a very disappointing day for us,” goalkeeper De Gea told BT Sport.
“Of course, [not winning trophies] is not good enough. It’s hard for the club, for us, for the fans. It’s really hard. This is where we are at the moment. It’s a difficult situation.
“We need to keep fighting, keep trying our best, but to be honest it’s a tough moment again. I feel sad, I feel for the fans as well, and for everyone, but we were not good enough.
“I think they [Atletico] are a team with a lot of experience. They know how to play these tight Champions League games. They scored a goal and it was difficult for us to create chances. This is football, this is the Champions League, and we’re out of one of the most important competitions, so we’re very, very sad.
“As soon as they scored, they put the whole team in front of Oblak. It’s very difficult to score against them, but we tried until the end. It was not enough to score a goal.”
