Man United handed instant verdict as Atletico Madrid goal controversially chalked off

Manchester United received a major reprieve against Atletico Madrid after Johnny Cardoso had a second goal controversially disallowed for handball. Atletico had taken a 1-0 lead inside the first minute through Pablo Barrios before Cardoso seemingly doubled the advantage. However, referee Glenn Nyberg conducted an on-field review and ruled that Marcos Llorente handled the ball in a collision with United defender Ayden Heaven during the build-up.

Former referee Mark Clattenburg explained the decision on Amazon Prime, noting Llorente gained an advantage by deliberately blocking a pass with his arm. Former United winger Ashley Young commented that United got away with one after trailing 1-0 at the break. The match came amid domestic pressure on Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick.