Manchester United hosted Spanish side Villareal at Old Trafford as they looked for revenge over their penalty shoot-out heartbreak in the Europa League final. Both teams were looking to secure their first win in this season’s Champions League campaign.
Danjuma set up the opening goal in the 53rd minute after Dalot was caught out at the back with Paco Alcacer slotting home the cross.
An equaliser soon came through an unlikely source of Alex Telles. He struck the ball into the top right corner after an intelligent Bruno Fernandes saw the open space to cross in to.
Cristiano Ronaldo snatched a late winner in dramatic fashion after he struck the ball into the back of the net and celebrate in front of a packed-out Stretford End.
The first half ended goalless with multiple chances from the away side but United had De Gea to thank for his quick reflexes and strong saves.
United took their time in finding their feet which subsequently left them a goal down after Alcacer finally converted a chance to put the Europa League winners 1-0 up.
The Red Devils began to pick themselves up after Mason Greenwood drew a foul from Danjuma, leading to a free kick.
An intelligent ball from Fernandes and an even better strike from Telles provided United with motivation and desire to push on.
With the home side looking to find a winner, Solskjaer sent on Edinson Cavani and Nemanja Matic who replaced duo Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba.
Cavani’s energy and hunger was unmatched as he continued to push for the winning goal before he directed his header wide of the post.
Another crucial double save from De Gea saw Villareal inches away from finding their second goal of the game as Gomez’s shot from close range was denied.
United had one last roll of the dice as they sent on Jesse Lingard and Fred. The two substitutes upped the tempo as they looked to create the winning goal in ‘Fergie Time’.
In the final stages of the game, surrounded by yellow shirts, Lingard flicked the ball into the feet of Ronaldo who poked the ball into the back of the net before throwing his shirt into the air and running towards the crowd to celebrate.
Ronaldo scored on a record-breaking night as he became the all-time leading appearance maker in the Champions League with 178 appearances, surpassing Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Speaking to BT Sport post-match, Ronaldo described the game as “difficult” and “a must win game” after failing to beat Swiss side Young Boys. He continued to praise the team for showing a “great attitude”.
The Red Devils Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer explained Villareal were “a very hard team to beat” but began to praise his number 7 for making a difference: “when you’ve got Cristiano on the pitch, you’ve always got a chance”.
When questioned on what the result does for the team after a difficult run of form, Solskjaer claims “it’s massive for the players”.
The return fixture at Villareal’s ground will take place on Tuesday, November 23, where both teams will look to battle once again.
Manchester United now return to the Premier League with a home game to Rafa Benitez’s Everton side.
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