Manchester United may have gained a crucial advantage in their hopes of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals after opponents Atletico Madrid reportedly left their tactics board at Old Trafford ahead of Tuesday's round-of-16 second leg.
Ralf Rangnick 's side are bidding to reach the last eight after a 1-1 draw in Madrid three weeks ago and may already have a leg up on Diego Simeone and co. in round two. The Sun report that Atletico staff left details of their all-important tactics inside the stadium after training there on Monday evening, only realising they had left the board behind when unpacking their kit at a city-centre hotel.
The vehicle that had brought them from Old Trafford into central Manchester had already left, prompting a panicked member of Simeone's backroom staff to immediately plead for it to be returned. Thankfully for the Spanish champions, they have reportedly been able to retrieve it in a chaotic turn of events.
But the damage could have already been done, given that Old Trafford staff working at the stadium may have been able to get a glimpse of Los Rojiblancos' gameplan and pass on the information to Rangnick and his players.
The interim United manager has already urged his team to use every advantage possible ahead of the win-or-bust tie, and called on the crowd at Old Trafford to make a cauldron-like atmosphere - not unlike the one created during Saturday's dramatic 3-2 win against Tottenham, inspired by a Cristiano Ronaldo's sensational hat-trick.
"[The crowd will be] very significant," Rangnick told manutd.com in a pre-match Q&A. "Our supporters are outstanding, amazing, they can always, even more so on international nights, make the difference and create a very special atmosphere. But, in the end, it's obviously up to us.
"We have to take the first step and show them how ambitious we are and how ideally we want to qualify for the last eight and if we show that, the fans will be behind the team and will carry us all through the game." While the Red Devils are at home, Atletico boast the advantage of having one more day of recovery - last playing in La Liga on Friday - beating relegation battlers Cadiz 2-1.
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But the 63-year-old is quite content with his team's time to rest following the victory over Spurs, adding: "Well, I would have thought that this is the case. I didn't know that they [La Liga chiefs] allowed them to play a day earlier. Normally, this is fixed by TV companies, broadcast companies.
"For us, it's okay. As long as have three days in between. Obviously, it would not have been too bad to play Friday ourselves but, again, it's not for us that much of a problem. I don't think it will make any difference for tomorrow's game." Rangnick went on to say: "In the end, obviously it's about what kind of level of emotions are we going to play, it's about desire again.
"In the end, we showed against Tottenham that the desire on our end, it was slightly bigger and higher than Tottenham and that was why we could decide the game for ourselves at the end.
"Against Atletico, it's even more important as one of their biggest strengths is the way that they play, their aggressive approach they play and the high level of emotions, which is why we have to be better in this area than them."
He concluded: "It will be little details that make the difference so we have to be focused and aware of what we have to do, and shouldn’t do, against them. If you have the little details right, and be emotionally on the highest possible level of aggression."
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