Ronaldo saves the day… again
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dramatic last-minute winner for Manchester United as they came from behind to secure a 2-1 win against Villarreal to take the pressure off manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
On a day when the superstar broke the record for the most appearances in the Champions League (178), it was the Portugal international who had the final say in the dying moments with a finish from a tight angle, sending Old Trafford into raptures.
It wasn’t all easy for the Red Devils, who had to come from behind after Unai Emery’s side took the lead through Paco Alcacer’s composed finish put the Spanish outfit deservedly in front.
United struggled to break the away side down but eventually found their equaliser not long after the hour mark through unlikely scorer Alex Telles, whose neat volley on the edge of the box nestled its way into the bottom right-hand corner to equalise.
With just seconds left, Bruno Fernandes’ whipped ball into the box found the head of Ronaldo who cushioned back to the path of Jesse Lingard, but whilst the substitute couldn’t finish, the ball bounced back the number seven, who thundered home to score the winner and give United their first three points of the Champions League this season.
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“I always had the feeling we could win the game,” Bruno Fernandes told BT Sport after the game.
“And when they scored I felt we could come again and turn it around. After the goal of Alex [Telles] the push from the fans was unbelievable.
“Some amazing saves from David [De Gea] to keep the score at 1-1. Then at the end… strikers have that feeling to score and Cristiano helps us again.”
It is important that Fernandes praised De Gea after that close-run victory. The Spaniard’s return to form may yet make the difference on United’s quest to win a big trophy this season.
Related links:
- Alex Ferguson says Ronaldo’s return was “like Caesar entering Rome”
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer responds to Gary Neville’s criticism of Man United’s style
- Gary Neville says Man United ‘not enough of a team’ to win Premier League
