Topics: UEFA Champions League, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Renan Lodi
The Red Devils failed to progress from the Round of 16 stage after falling to their Spanish opponents at Old Trafford.

Fans on social media have regarded the refereeing in the Champions League meeting between Manchester United and Atletico Madrid as one of the worst-ever in the competition's history following the former's elimination. The Red Devils endured a frustrating night at Old Trafford on Tuesday night and were eventually knocked out after failing to get a response for the game's only goal scored by Renan Lodi.

Having managed a 1-1 draw at Wanda Metropolitano in the Round of 16 first leg clash, the win was there for the taking as UEFA had scrapped the away goal rule. Right from the word go, Atletico Madrid's game plan of sitting back and hitting United on the counter worked to perfection and it did not take long for them to be rewarded. Prior to Renan Lodi scoring the decider, a penalty claim by the hosts was waved off after the Video Assistant Referee had reviewed the incident.

Los Rojiblancos also had a chance to go in front earlier but saw Joao Felix's strike being chalked off for offside. Shortly after the Portuguese wonderkick and Antoine Griezmann combined to set up Lodi for the game's only goal by capitalising on the defensive frailties of the three-time European champions once again. However, the goal came under scrutiny and was subsequently reviewed as it appeared that Anthony Elanga was fouled in the build-up.

Not much changed about it anyway as Slovenian referee Slavko Vinčić will point to the centre for the goal to stand after VAR revealed that the contact made to dispossess the United youngster was not illegal. The turn of events infuriated the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes in the process but the players, together with their teammates, failed to manage a response to keep their hope alive in the second half.

Although stoppages took a hefty chunk of the time in the second half, only three yellow cards were shown within that period, with Atletico Madrid's Hector Herrera being the only opposition player sanctioned. In the end, Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea revealed his frustration with the officiating and his manager Ralf Rangnick also expressed his disappointment with the manner in which the game was handled.

Below are some of the reactions by fans on Twitter: