SportsRecord-Setting Cristiano Ronaldo Rescues United From Villarreal Test With Last Minute Winner

Record-Setting Cristiano Ronaldo Rescues United From Villarreal Test With Last Minute Winner

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September 30, (THEWILL) – An overall average Manchester United’s performance was rescued by a magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo finish in the fifth minute of injury time, which left Old Trafford buzzing rather than shaking its head in collective fashion as it appeared to be the case at the final moments of the round two Group F UEFA Champions League tie.

Villarreal got off to a confident start, as a settled side buoyed by the confidence of a trophy won against a wealthier but less cohesive opponent in the UEFA Europa League final last season.

Despite creating numerous excellent first-half chances, a combination of poor finishing and excellent goalkeeping from David de Gea meant the teams went into halftime goalless.

Glo

Villarreal took the lead on 53 minutes, with Arnaut Danjuma, the most impressive player on the pitch, crossing for Pablo Alcacer to sneak in and open the scoring. Alex Telles volleyed a superb first United goal past Geronimo Rulli after a clever free-kick from Bruno Fernandes to level the scores.

Both teams pushed for a victory, but with a draw appearing likely, Ronaldo grabbed a winner with what was almost the game’s final kick, finishing from a tight angle in the area. And, four months after losing to the Spanish side via an epic set of penalty shootouts in the UEFA Europa final, the Red Devils got one back.

In what was a record appearance for a player in the history of the UCL, Ronaldo did what he has become synonymous for: determining the winner with his goals in his 178th Champions League appearance, which breaks the previous record set by his former teammate at Real Madrid, Iker Casillas.

The win bumped the Red Devils to second place in the group with three points from two games while Villarreal, on the other hand, are in last place, with one point from two games.

Ronaldo may have been yellow-carded for celebrating the last-gasp goal by taking off his shirt but that will not matter much as the three points and the record-setting are already in the bag and the weight of performance pressure is lighter on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shoulders

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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