Fridolina Rolfo’s maiden United goal opened the scoring in the first half and proved to be the difference at the end of a game that both teams finished with 10 players, in the Spanish capital.

Marc Skinner’s Reds completed more than 45 minutes without Dominique Janssen after the centre-back was shown a straight red card, following a VAR review, for a challenge on Gio Garbelini just before half-time. That was prior to the numbers being levelled up in the second half, when Atleti’s Alexia Fernandez was given her marching orders after a 74th-minute foul on Leah Galton warranted a second bookable offence.

The win, on a night that Ella Toone became United Women's first player to 200 appearances, sees the team continue a perfect start to our inaugural campaign in the European competition's centrepiece stage, after last week’s triumph over Valerenga in our league-phase opener.

FIRST HALF

Toone got the game under way on her landmark appearance and made her way to the edge of the Atleti 18-yard area to register the contest’s first attempt inside the opening 30 seconds. Although she scythed her volley wide, after a long Maya Le Tissier ball forward, United’s early intent was clear.

Skinner’s Reds weren’t intimidated by the setting of our first-ever away game in the main phase of the Women’s Champions League and undoubtedly started as the better team. 

The chances kept on coming too, with Rolfo striking over twice in quick succession – once on her right foot and then the other on her left – the first coming after some brilliant strength from Elisabeth Terland, who rolled Silvia Lloris before playing the ball out to our Swedish winger.

Before Rolfo got her next chance, there was a warning sign sounded at the other end by our Spanish hosts, who scored six without reply in their matchday-one win away to St Polten. Fiamma Benitez, who netted the last two on that night, arrived in our penalty box to get on the end of Luany’s centre from the right, but Maya Le Tissier got a crucial block on the low strike.

That intervention from the skipper kept the scores level, before Rolfo tipped the scales in our favour in the 24th minute. Julia Zigiotti Olme’s cross from the right wasn’t cleared and only headed towards the back post, where Rolfo waited unmarked to emphatically fire home a right-footed volley as the ball dropped down from the sky.

Having been the architect of our opener, Zigiotti was involved again – in a similar area of the pitch – to tee up another brilliant United opportunity. This time, she found Melvine Malard in the inside-right channel, but after taking a touch towards the goal, the in-form forward prodded her eventual effort across the target and wide.

The Reds hadn’t been far from going two goals ahead, but the complexion of the encounter was about to change. Janssen was initially shown a yellow card for catching Garbelini with a challenge for the ball but, after referee Eleni Antoniou was advised to watch the incident back on the VAR monitor, Janssen’s card was upgraded to a red.

After the accidental but painful-looking contact between the Dutch defender’s right knee and Garbelini’s left ankle, the latter left the action on a stretcher. Meanwhile, from the resulting free-kick, United needed a reflex stop from Phallon Tullis-Joyce to stop Jayde Riviere unknowingly diverting the ball into her own net, before Le Tissier and Anna Sandberg combined to clear off the line.

SECOND HALF

The Reds had successfully weathered the remaining time in the first half – including seven minutes of added time – before making changes at the interval. A double substitution that saw Terland and Toone withdrawn for Lisa Naalsund and Gabby George was a forced reorganisation, and a hint to a more backs-against-the-wall approach that would follow in the second half.

United were happy for the 11 players of Atleti to have the ball – happier than in the first half, at least – and began to retreat into a 4-4-1 shape out of possession. It was a compact mould, but one that the hosts started to find space within due to their extra player.

Luany was causing problems down the right flank again as Atleti threatened for the first time in the half. The winger crossed into the middle for Synne Jensen, whose first-time connection was thankfully miscued wide.

Involved again shortly after, Luany played a swift one-two pass with former United midfielder Vilde Boe Risa before a shooting opportunity opened up from the right side of our 18-yard area. Tullis-Joyce stood tall though, and saved the rifled attempt brilliantly above her head, parrying the ball behind for a corner.

Our goalkeeper was beginning to make her mark on the contest and was involved again from the resulting set-piece, getting in the midst of a six-yard box scramble before helping to divert a Lloris strike wide once more.

The resilience and fighting spirit so often associated with this United side was shining through on the big stage of the Champions League, and the dynamic would soon shift again after the Reds’ successfully dealt with the numerical disadvantage. 

Galton, shortly after coming on, showed a burst of energy to nip the ball away from an already booked Fernandez, drawing a foul that would see the Atleti player shown her second yellow card of the evening in the 74th minute.

It meant the personnel count was levelled up again at 10 v 10 going into a massive last 15 minutes. The pattern of play continued with the home side continuing to come forward in pursuit of a leveller, but the big chance from then on would fall to the Reds, when Malard ran from her own half, jinked inside Lauren after reaching the penalty area and curled narrowly wide.

Malard would shoot wide again moments later, but United wouldn’t need a second goal. Rolfo’s first-half strike was enough to record a second successive league-phase win on a proud night for Skinner’s side in Madrid.

MATCH DETAILS

Atletico Madrid: Gallardo (c); Fernandez, Lauren (Perez 87), Lloris, Medina; Boe Risa (Bartel 87), Garcia, Benitez (Vitoria 86); Luany, Garbelini (Portales 42), Jensen (Guijarro 67).

Unused subs: Gomez, Larque, Minambres, Rodriguez, Sarriegi, de Isidro.

Booked: Luany.

Sent off: Fernandez.

United: Tullis-Joyce; Riviere, Le Tissier (c), Janssen, Sandberg; Zigiotti, Miyazawa; Malard (Williams 87), Toone (George 46), Rolfo (Galton 64); Terland (Naalsund 46).

Unused subs: Middleton-Patel, Rendell, Blundell, Awujo.

Booked: Riviere.

Sent off: Janssen.

Goal: Rolfo 24.