Cristiano Ronaldo marks his return to the Man United team with a goal
Cristiano Ronaldo marks his return to the Manchester United team with a goal against Sheriff Tiraspol to make it 3-0 late on after high-profile falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag
- Cristiano Ronaldo scored Manchester United’s third of the night on his return
- He had been out of the first-team set up after being axed by boss Erik ten Hag
- He initially missed with a header before pouncing on the rebound to score
Cristiano Ronaldo marks his return to the Manchester United side with a goal against Sheriff Tiraspol.
The Portuguese forward netted a left-footed effort from the left-hand side of the penalty area in the 81st minute of the Europa League clash.
The 37-year-old had been out of the team after a high-profile falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag that saw him axed from the first team after refusing to come on against Tottenham earlier in October.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first Old Trafford goal of the season against Sheriff Tiraspol
Ten Hag threw down a gauntlet for the forward to show on the pitch why he deserves a place in the side, and he appears to have taken on the challenge.
Despite missing a gilt-edged chance early in the game, the 37-year-old continued to work for his team, although the Moldovan side were unlikely to ever test his resolve too hard.
The change of heart that he had insisted had taken place on social media was also evident, as he notably stepped aside for Christian Eriksen to take a free-kick from about 25 yards out in prime ‘Ronaldo territory’.
The wantaway star netted his 701st club goal – and first at Old Trafford this season – late in the game with his side already almost assured of three points.
Ronaldo had missed several good opportunities before finding the back of the net late on
In total, the Portuguese legend has netted 818 times in his long and illustrious career at the top of the game.
But the five-time Ballon d’Or winner had found himself out of the starting side before his touchline spat earlier in October that saw him leave the match before full-time.
The arrival of Erik ten Hag had initially seen him try to force through a move away from Old Trafford in the summer, but with no potential destinations forthcoming, he began the season at United, where he is under contract until 2023.
The goal on Thursday night was the 701st club goal of his stellar career at the top of the game
After a slow start the game eventually finished 3-0, with Ronaldo’s finish the third and final of the game in Europa League Group E.
Diogo Dalot opened the scoring with his second in a United shirt – which is a staggering juxtaposition with Ronaldo’s 701st in his career.
Marcus Rashford then doubled the ascendancy in the second half with a well-timed header from a Luke Shaw cross, ending his own five-game barren run.
Diogo Dalot had opened up the scoring at the end of the first half for his second for United
Marcus Rashford then doubled the lead to end his own five-game run without scoring a goal
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article