Football: Expensive mediocrity confirmed as Manchester United's trophy drought completes a fifth season

Manchester United's Marcus Rashford dejected. Photo / AP

The last path to a title was ended at an Old Trafford now accustomed to letdowns, as United were knocked out of the Champions League in a 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid today.

In a tight and tense game, Renan Lodi made the difference by scoring his first goal in the competition in his 25th appearance, meeting Antoine Griezmann's cross with a header after being left unmarked at the far post by defender Diogo Dalot in the 41st minute.

So often the team's saviour, David de Gea was beaten. The goalkeeper feels the pain more, being the only starter still in the team from the end of the trophy-filled Alex Ferguson era in 2013.

"It's not good enough," De Gea said. "It's hard for the club, for us and the fans. This is where we are at the moment. It is a difficult situation, but we have to keep fighting."

Cristiano Ronaldo departed Old Trafford before Ferguson retired and the malaise kicked in. The 37-year-old star returned this season — after collecting trophies at Real Madrid and Juventus — to be the difference-maker. Rather than dazzling, as he did with Sunday's hat-trick against Tottenham, Ronaldo didn't manage a shot against the Spanish champions.

Instead, United were left relying on defender Raphael Varane attempting to equalise in the second half, and his header was kept out by Jan Oblak.

United could find no way past the goalkeeper three weeks after a 1-1 draw in Madrid that counted for nothing, with away goals no longer carrying an advantage.

"For me, Oblak is the best goalkeeper in the world," Atletico captain Koke said. "He's shown it once again."

Atletico Madrid's Renan Lodi after their win. Photo / AP

Atletico showed the blueprint to grab a win away, by scoring from one of only three shots on target.

"We suffered when we had to," said Rodrigo De Paul, whose long-range shot was blocked by De Gea in the first half, "and hit when we had the chance here at a great stadium, against a great team."

Diego Simeone, a two-time Champions League runner-up, leads Atletico back into the quarter-finals like in 2020. Europe is the platform for Atletico to raise their game this season, with the team clinging onto fourth place domestically after winning the title last season.

"We wanted to show that we're a really tough side to play against," Griezmann said. "We wanted to be at this level more consistently and go forward."

United go backward, with only two appearances in the Champions League quarter-finals in a decade, in 2014 and 2019. Not since the 1970s have United gone as long without a trophy with the second-tier Europa League in 2017 the last honour for, historically at least, English football's most successful club.

There's not much to show for more than $1 billion in transfer spending since the two-time Champions League winner Ferguson retired as manager nine years ago.

Such is the instability at United that it's an interim coach in Ralf Rangnick who has presided over United's exits from the FA Cup and Champions League early in 2022.

Now the priority is just regaining the fourth spot in the Premier League to return to the Champions League next season for whoever is in charge of United.

A potential full-time successor is Erik ten Hag, whose Ajax team were also eliminated in the other last-16 second leg. Darwin Nunez's goal gave Benfica a 1-0 win in Amsterdam to advance 3-2 on aggregate.