Romanian referee announced for Manchester United visit to Atletico Madrid, fourth match officiating Red Devils

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UEFA have appointed the referee for Manchester United’s Champions League last 16 first leg match.

Marca report Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan will officiate the fixture, and his presence has positive vibes for both teams.

United unbeaten in three games

Here’s the good news. With referee Hategan in charge, United have not been defeated in the three matches. This includes two wins and one draw.

1) The first of these was the draw, which felt like a win. Hategan took charge for the Europa League semi-final second leg as United tied 1-1 with Celta Vigo in 2017. The game was best remembered for John Guidetti missing a near open goal towards the end which would have put United out.

Having led 1-0 from the first leg, United were left celebrating at full-time after reaching the final and going on to lift the trophy. Marouane Fellaini was United’s goalscorer in the second leg, although one player will not have happy memories of him at all. Eric Bailly was given a straight red card and missed the final against Ajax.

2) The second match Hategan took charge of was good for Manchester United, and not so great for Cristiano Ronaldo.

This was United’s Champions League group stage win in Turin in 2018, a late smash and grab victory with the help of a Juan Mata free-kick, which saw Jose Mourinho famously cup his ear to the crowd at full-time.

3) The most recent game Hategan took charge of came last season at Old Trafford as Manchester United beat Istanbul Basaksehir 4-1.

Bruno Fernandes (2), Marcus Rashford and Dan James were all on the scoresheet in a one-sided clash as the Red Devils exacted revenge for a defeat in Turkey weeks earlier.

Atletico also unbeaten in four games

The bad news for United from an omen perspective, is that Atletico Madrid are also unbeaten in four matches, recording three wins and one draw.

These include a 1-0 win over Rubin Kazan, a 2-1 win against Benfica, a 3-2 victory over Red Bull Salzburg last season, and a 0-0 draw against Porto at the start of this season’s group stages.

With this history, the smart money may be on a draw this week between the two sides. A draw would suit United a lot better than Atletico, especially with the away goal rule abolished, enabling United to approach the second leg at Old Trafford without trepidation.