Old Trafford was the place where Atalanta visited Man United in the Champions League’s group stage. We got tonight’s player ratings.
What seemed like a rough night for Man United against Atalanta, ended as a joyful evening at Old Trafford thanks to the players’ reaction. The first half of this game will go down as some of the most boring football we’ve seen from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad. There was even a moment in which everybody thought this was the final game for the Norwegian manager. But Cristiano Ronaldo had to come and spoil what most United supporters have been begging for months.
Pasalic and Demiral scored two goals during the first half-hour of the match that left Cristiano fuming at the many mistakes his teammates made. Scott McTominay was the player who couldn’t prevent both goals to get in with Davi De Gea also helping in the second goal. During half-time, there was a pep talk from the players rather than the manager with Bruno, Pogba, and Cristiano leading the charge. By the time the second half started, the Red Devils were a completely different squad.
The United front responds with a brilliant comeback.
Right after the second-half whistle, Manchester United started going on the attack with a vastly different initiative. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer allowed his starting eleven to mend their first-half mistakes and they didn’t disappoint. Bruno Fernandes found Marcus Rashford with a brilliant assist between the lines that the young England star sealed with United’s first goal. That was only eight minutes into the second half but the Red Devils looked hungry for more. After a barrage of missed chances for United, they finally found a way to break the deadlock.
Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, and Jadon Sancho’s presence gifted the locals with greater depth on the wings. That’s how they found the equalizer, through a precise cross from the right flank delivered by Bruno. Harry Maguire was the man who gave United that much-needed goal. But the man of the hour was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. He jumped in the air with only a few minutes left on the clock to connect a clinical pass from Luke Shaw. That was more than enough to seal a new victory with the same hero at Old Trafford. Next up, the most dangerous Liverpool in years comes to the Theatre of Dreams on Sunday. Will Ronaldo be ready for that? Please take a look at today’s Champions League results down below.
Player ratings
Manchester United: De Gea (7), Shaw (5), Maguire (6), Lindelof (5), Wan-Bissaka (6), Fred (5), McTominay (3), Bruno (8), Rashford (7), Ronaldo (9), Greenwood (5).
Bench: Pogba (7), Cavani (7), Sancho (7), Matic (6).
Atalanta: Musso (5), Palomino (5), Zappacosta (5), Demiral (7), Maehle (7), Ilicic (7), De Roon (6), Freuler (6), Pasalic (7), Koopmainers (6), Muriel (6).
Bench: Zapata (6), Malinovsky (6), Miranchuk (6), Lovato (6), Pezzella (5).
Feel free to make your pick on players’ ratings and performances in the widget below.
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