I was at Old Trafford to see Manchester United limp out of the Champions League (again) and it was absolutely hilarious.
As a Manchester City fan, it felt a little odd to watch - and lend my support to - a team wearing a shade of light blue but not called City serving United with a sobering lesson at the supposed Theatre of Dreams. Atletico Madrid's lazer blue strip resembled that of late 90s City, but that's as far as the comparison goes.
Attending the game in a journalistic capacity, I kept my emotions in check when Renan Lodi gave the Spanish side a deserved lead late in the first half. However, it was hard not to crack a smile as the pre-match optimism and atmosphere was sucked out of Old Trafford by a typically defensive and cunning performance from Diego Simeone's team.
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Everyone knows how Cholo sets up in big European fixtures away from home. Atletico defended resolutely, counter-attacked when they could and in the final half-hour wasted time and play-acted like their lives depended on it.
The United fans clearly didn't like that, and I've no doubt that if it was City who had been facing Atleti then I would have felt equally frustrated. But at least Atletico and their manager have an identity, even if it has appeared muddled at times this season. United should focus on discovering their own, rather than on moaning about how their opponents play and win.
In hindsight, it was not the greatest of games, but the atmosphere generated by the travelling Spanish fans more than made up for that. The sight of a bouncing away end at Old Trafford is one of life's simple pleasures, especially when the supporters have travelled so far to witness their team create history. Atletico are the only team to have eliminated all three English winners of the competition from the Champions League era - Chelsea in 2014, Liverpool in 2020 and now United.
As a City fan it was immensely enjoyable watching Pep Guardiola's side utterly dominate United at Old Trafford back in November, passing them into a state of complete disarray and highlighting their total lack of organisation and commitment. Watching them grow increasingly frustrated with Atletico's antics and defensive resoluteness, the opposite approach to City, was equally entertaining.
Most striking was the unity between Atletico's players, supporters and coach - even if Simeone did sprint down the tunnel at full-time as he always does. Similar togetherness is evident at City but painfully lacking at United, whose supporters, despite claiming to always back the team, booed Harry Maguire when he was substituted in the second half.
For years, City's Champions League struggles were the butt of United jokes, but there can be no doubt that the tables have turned. United needed to fight for their lives and they didn't, a strange way to waste the opportunity they created for themselves with a good result in Madrid three weeks ago.
After years of domination, foreign coaches and players often refer to United as just 'Manchester'. Perhaps it's now time to use that title to address the only elite team in the city.
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