Shearer and Clattenberg agree Leny Yoro red card was wrong as Man Utd fall to Atletico

Manchester United suffered a Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid that was overshadowed by a contentious red card shown to defender Leny Yoro in the 74th minute, with the hosts already trailing to Pablo Barrios’s goal — scored after just 53 seconds — when the Frenchman was sent off.

Yoro was adjudged to have fouled Atletico forward Jonathan David just inside United’s half. Play had initially been allowed to continue, with Ademola Lookman forcing goalkeeper Senne Lammens into a one-on-one save, but referee Glenn Nyberg was called to the monitor by VAR and reversed his decision, awarding United a free-kick and showing Yoro a straight red.

Alan Shearer was unconvinced by the call. “It wasn’t [a foul] for me,” he said. “He goes down too easy. It’s not a foul.” Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenberg echoed that view, describing the decision as “extremely soft”.

“He puts his arm across, and the two players are fighting for position,” Clattenberg said. “I just think he goes down very, very easy. This has to be a clear and obvious error, and I don’t believe it is a clear and obvious error from the referee. There is an arm across the shoulder, but that contact is very slight. I don’t believe, in my opinion, that it’s a red card.”

Shearer added that United’s own wastefulness in front of goal was equally damning. “I didn’t think that was enough. It’s a contact sport — an arm on someone doesn’t mean it’s a foul. You know as a forward, as soon as you feel a touch, whether it’s an arm or not, that he’s going over. Not enough for a red for me, but — and it’s a huge but — Manchester United have only got themselves to blame. They have created chances but they’ve missed far too many.”

With United reduced to ten men, Lookman came off the bench to add a second goal in the 79th minute, putting the result beyond doubt. United had created openings throughout but were unable to beat Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal, leaving them with a difficult deficit to overturn in the second leg.