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Champions League updates from the 8pm BST kick-off
With Manchester United and Michael Carrick careering towards the dumper, then travelling to face Diego Simeone’s Atleti is almost certainly not the fixture that would be handpicked. Though perhaps it can serve as some kind of turning point. Play as sluggishly as United have in their last two Premier League matches either side of the international break – Fulham and Tottenham – and there’s big trouble in store. Atlético have won their last four matches in La Liga, including a famous win in the Madrid derby. Their last Champions League match did, thouugh, see them lose at Anfield. If the competition’s bloated structure has its critics, and United can probably get away with losing in the scheme of reaching the knockouts, Carrick can barely afford to. Further to that, there may not be two more opposite touchline characters than Simeone and Carrick.
Kick-off is at 8pm UK time. Join me.
