Manchester United 3-2 Atalanta: Ronaldo fires late winner to spare Solskjaer’s blushes | UCL 2021-22

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United against Atalanta
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United against Atalanta

Manchester United did well to come back from 2-0 down to secure a morale-boosting 3-2 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Champions League earlier tonight.

Goals from Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo helped overturn the deficit and secure all three points eventually.

Here at Anytime football, we look at the three major talking points from tonight’s contest.

Defensive vulnerability

The Red Devils were without the injured Raphael Varane for tonight’s contest and they continue to look vulnerable at the back.

Manchester United have conceded ten goals in their last six matches across all competitions and it is simply unacceptable for a side hoping to challenge for the Premier League title and the Champions League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will have to tighten up at the back if they want to do well and win trophies this season.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League pedigree

The Manchester United star is probably the most effective player in the history of the Champions League in terms of winning the trophy and making his mark through individual records.

Ronaldo proved to be the difference between the two sides once again as he bagged the winner on the 81st minute for the Premier League giants.

When the Red Devils decided to bring the Portuguese international back at the club, they were hoping for match-winning displays from the talisman and Ronaldo has done just that since his return to Old Trafford. 

Jadon Sancho struggles to make the desired impact once again

The former Borussia Dortmund winger has not been able to replicate his peak form since the move to Old Trafford and his performance against Atalanta was hardly inspiring.

The winger was brought on to influence the game in Manchester United’s favour but he was largely ineffective as he replaced a struggling Mason Greenwood on the night.