Ronaldo rescues Man United with crucial late winner against Villarreal
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the final whistle at Old Trafford. Picture: Martin Rickett/PAÂ
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated another record-breaking night by snatching a dramatic winner for Manchester United at Old Trafford.
On the night he went past Iker Casillas to clock up his 178th appearance in the competition, Ronaldo popped up in the fifth minute of added time to grab his fifth goal in five games since returning to Old Trafford.
It was his 136th goal in the Champions League - and he hasn't scored many more as important.
United looked set to be held to yet another draw by bogey side Villarreal which would have cranked up the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But Ronaldo's strike earned them a vital victory to get their group stage campaign off and running following their defeat in their opening game against Young Boys.
The performance still left many question marks about Solskjaer's inability to get United firing on all cylinders.
Former captain Gary Neville has criticised Solskjaer for relying on individual brilliance to win matches rather than having a formulated style of play to break down opponents.
And that was underlined when they needed Brazilian Telles' brilliant first goal for the club to bring them level and Ronaldo's incredible eye for goal to earn them the three points they barely deserved.
Usain Bolt and Tyson Fury were guests at the game and United could've done with the Olympic sprinter's pace and the heavyweight champion's punch in a shambolic first 45 minutes.
United were forced to make three changes to their normal back four because England pair Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were both injured in the weekend home defeat to Aston Villa while Aaron Wan Bissaka was suspended after his red card in the opening group game.
Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof, and Telles were the replacements with new boy Raphael Varane making up a defence that had never played together before.
And it showed in the first half with Villarreal carving out numerous chances and Dalot, in particular, having a torrid time against Arnaut Danjuma, their ÂŁ21.5m summer buy from Bournemouth.
The Spaniards could have been home and hosed by half-time if they had been more clinical and David De Gea had not been at his best. It is no exaggeration to say they could have scored six such was the ease they cut through United's defence.Â
Danjuma was clean through after six minutes but fired his shot straight at De Gea who then made a more notable save from a better effort by Danjuma.
De Gea was in action again when he tipped over a header by Paco Alcacer after that man Danjuma had crossed from the left after tormenting Dalot again.
Former Liverpool player Alberto Moreno fired over when a clever short corner routine caught United cold; Danjuma beat Dalot again and but fired into the side netting and Alcacer fired wide after Varane's mistake left him with a clear run on goal.
United struggled to make any real headway. It took them 36 minutes to muster an effort on target when Paul Pogba's long-range shot was comfortably fielded by keeper Geronimo Rulli.
The closest United came to a goal came when Moreno almost turned Pogba's pass into his own net but much to his relief the ball rolled inches past the post with Rulli stranded.
But if United thought they could draw encouragement from this they were sadly mistaken with Villarreal creating two more gilt-edged chances before the break. A quick break following a United corner left them in a two against one situation only for Alcacer to overhit his pass to Yeremi Pino and the chance was gone.
Moments later De Gea came to United's rescue again with a fine save from Pino after a great run by Pau Torres, who dribbled past four United challenges.
If Solskjaer had some harsh words at the break they were not heeded because Villarreal took a richly deserved lead eight minutes into the second half. No surprise that Danjuma made it with a clever cross with the outside of his right foot for Alcacer to nudge the ball in at the near post.
The goal finally provoked some sort of reaction from United. Fernandes chipped a free-kick to the far side of the penalty area where Telles produced a superb volley that took one bounce as it beat Rulli.
What a difference it made to United. Sancho should have made it two a minute later but slipped and his half-hit shot flew straight at Rulli. Then a superb tackle by Juan Foyth stopped Pogba as he was about to pull the trigger.
Cavani came on for the ineffective Sancho and should have grabbed the winner but headed wide at the far post when he looked certain to score from Mason Greenwood's cross.
Villarreal almost snatched a late winner but United managed to keep the ball out of the net in an amazing goalmouth scramble after De Gea had saved from sub Dia.
But just as the two teams looked set for a sixth successive draw, Ronaldo - who had hardly been in the game - popped up with the winner after good work by Jesse Lingard.
De Gea 9; Dalot 5, Lindelof 6, Varane 6, Telles 7; McTominay 6; Greenwood 6, Fernandes 7, Pogba 7 (Cavani 75, 6), Sancho 5 (Matic 75, 5), Ronaldo 7.
Heaton, Henderson, Bailly, Mata, Martial, Lingard, Fred, Van Beek, Elanga.
Rulli 6; Foyth 7; Albiol 7 Mandi 72, 5), Torres 7, A. Moreno 6 (Pena 72, 5); Parejo 7, Capoue 7, Trigueros 7 Estupinan61, 6); Pino 7 (Moi Gomez 72, 5), Alcacer 7 (Dia 58, 6), Danjuma 9.
Asenjo, Jorgensen, Mario Gaspar, Iborra, Pedraza, Iosifor.
Felix Zwayer (Germany).
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