Manchester United face three hurdles in bid for first win over Atletico Madrid

Manchester United face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday, needing to overcome three major hurdles to secure a historic first competitive win against the Spanish club. The Red Devils have never beaten Atletico in four prior competitive meetings. United's poor record against Spanish teams adds to the challenge, having won only 25 of 78 matches, though they have improved recently with six wins in their last 10 such games. Additionally, United enter the contest without a domestic win since August, while Atletico have won four straight matches. A source of hope for United is that Atletico's last defeat came against English opposition, losing 1-2 at Liverpool in September. United previously drew 1-1 in Madrid but lost the home leg 0-1 in the 2021/2022 Champions League.