Cristiano Ronaldo saves Manchester United again in Champions League

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 10:52 PM• Dominic Mostert

Manchester United have achieved a spectacular second win in the group stage of the Champions League. The top club from the Premier League reversed a 0-2 deficit against Atalanta: 3-2. Nine minutes before the end, Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal. He thus saved Manchester United again, after he already scored the winning goal against Villarreal three weeks ago. In the other match in the group, Villarreal triumphed 1-4 over Young Boys on Wednesday evening. At the moment, Manchester United are at the top with six points, Atalanta and Villarreal follow with four points and Young Boys close the gates with three points.

Manchester United v Atalanta 3-2
Pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mounted after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to Leicester City, but the first half hour of the game against Atalanta fueled even more desperation at Old Trafford. Atalanta, with Teun Koopmeiners in midfield and Marten de Roon in the rear due to the necessary injuries, opened the score after fifteen minutes of play. In possession of the ball, Josip Ilicic withdrew from the penalty area, after which he noticed that Davide Zappacosta was sprinting there. Ilicic sent the pass at the right time, after which Zappacosta with a low cross enabled the detached Mario Pasalic to score from close range. After half an hour it even became 0-2, because Merih Demiral convincingly headed after a sharp corner from Koopmeiners.

The same Demiral prevented Marcus Rashford from scoring on the opposite side with an extreme effort. At the start of the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo encountered keeper Juan Musso from close by after good preparatory work by Fernandes, who did give an assist a little later: after an impure pass from Ilicic, Fernandes gave a nice pass to Rashford, who ran away from the defense and found the far corner. Then there were chances to equalize. After a cross from Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay hit the post from close range when he hit the ball with the knee; Musso parried a shot from Ronaldo. However, the home side got away well when David de Gea turned the bets of Duván Zapata and Ruslan Malinovskyi.

Fifteen minutes before time, Manchester United came alongside. After a cross by Jadon Sancho from the right wing, Edinson Cavani headed the ball through towards Harry Maguire. The defender got a lot of freedom at the far post and shot into the left corner: 2-2. Manchester United managed to complete the comeback thanks to Ronaldo. After Atalanta cleared a corner from Fernandes, the Red Devils possession of the ball. Luke Shaw sent a cross, to which Ronaldo reacted in his typical way: he hung in the air and headed convincingly. Thus, he saved the team again, just like three weeks ago against Villarreal.

Young Boys – Villarreal 1-4
After the sour defeat to Manchester United three weeks ago, due to Ronaldo’s goal deep in stoppage time, Villarreal looked for the first three-pointer in the group stage. With Arnaut Danjuma in the base, the visitors were accurate after five minutes. After an attack down the left wing, Alfonso Pedraza sent a sharp cross towards the penalty area. The Young Boys defense was surprised by Yeremi Pino, who was in the right place at the far post to head in. Pino celebrated his 19th birthday in style and became the first teenager ever to score in the Champions League on his birthday. After fifteen minutes, Villarreal doubled the margin from a new header. A turning free kick from Dani Parejo’s left wing was appreciated by Gerard Moreno, who headed in from close range.

The visitors breathed a sigh of relief when Michel Aebischer shot hard against the post, the ball returned through the head of goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli and Meschack Elia shot wide. More chances followed in the second half and 14 minutes before the end, Elia made it 1-2 as he showed two defenders his heels and made no mistake in a one-on-one situation with the keeper. The tension returned, but was taken out of the game two minutes before the end after a counter from Villarreal. Danjuma encountered keeper David Von Ballmoos, after which Moreno used the rebound. The current number twelve of LaLiga was still working on goal difference in injury time. Substitute Samuel Chukwueze determined the final score after Moreno’s preparatory work: 1-4.