Manchester United midfielder Carlos Baleba was one of the very few positives as the club suffered a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
United lose
United’s misery shows no sign of abating, having been extended by yet another poor loss, on this occasion in Europe to Atletico.
Diego Simeone’s men needed just 50 seconds to break the deadlock. A pass carved open United’s defence, ending with Pablo Barrios tucking the ball into the back of the net.
The home side were predominantly at ease, notwithstanding two excellent chances for Bryan Mbeumo to level the scores in the first half.
Bruno Fernandes also struck the woodwork from a corner-kick routine. But things worsened for United when Leny Yoro was sent off for a challenge on Jonathan David, which the referee deemed a denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. The task became even harder for United as Atletico also gained the numerical advantage.
Ademola Lookman doubled the Spanish side’s lead in the 79th minute.
This represents yet another defeat for Carrick and his players, who must now contend with the fallout over the coming days.
Defeat on the road. https://t.co/HeITelI9AT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 13, 2026
Baleba’s performance
One player who acquitted himself was Baleba. He followed up his impressive debut during last weekend’s draw with Tottenham with another good performance.
He started in midfield alongside Andrey Santos and justified his selection prior to being withdrawn.
The Cameroonian managed to find his teammates with 16 of the 18 passes he attempted (89% individual pass accuracy). Baleba connected with the one long ball he pinged (100% long ball accuracy).
Baleba touched the ball 37 times and completed both dribbles he embarked on (100% dribbles).
The United summer signing was brilliant defensively, contributing three recoveries and winning five of the seven ground duels he delved into.
He also came out on top in the one aerial duel he contested.
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Passes Completed | 16 of 18 |
| Individual Pass Accuracy | 89% |
| Long Balls | 1 (100% accuracy) |
| Touches | 37 |
| Dribbles Completed | 2 (100%) |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Ground Duels Won | 5 of 7 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 1 of 1 |
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
Baleba and United are next in action on Sunday when they face Leeds United at Elland Road.
Featured image by Angel Martinez via Getty Images
