Cristiano Ronaldo rises high to save Solskjaer and Man United
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring Manchester United's late winner during the Champions League, Group F match against Atalanta at Old Trafford. Picture: Martin Rickett/PA
Cristiano Ronaldo — who else — was on hand to rescue victory for Manchester United and, with it, possibly the job of his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as his side came back from a two-goal first half deficit and display that saw them booed off by their own supporters.
Recalled Marcus Rashford handed his team a precious lifeline after 52 minutes with a clinical finish from an even more incisive pass from Bruno Fernandes.
And, as United turned in a vastly improved second half performance, inspired by an electric Old Trafford atmosphere, an unlikely equaliser came from the most unlikely of sources after 74 minutes.
Again Fernandes was the architect with a right-wing cross that flew through a crowded area and found defender Harry Maguire who, with an almost apologetic air about him, buried an impressive finish into the Atalanta goal.
The drama was not over and inevitably, Ronaldo had his role to play as Luke Shaw’s teasing left-wing cross hung high in the night air and the Portuguese rose magnificently, eight yards out, to head an 81st minute winner into the Atalanta goal.
And thus, Solskjaer lived to fight another day. Although for 45 minutes, it looked a close run thing.
If Solskjaer had hoped for a low-impact game against the Italians - or at the very least a start to the match that did not border on the disastrous - he was to be sorely disappointed.
It was a goal that summed up so many of his team’s recent troubles as a quickly-taken Atalanta free-kick caught Solskjaer’s entire defence out of position and Luis Muriel, isolated against Victor Lindelof, played the ball back for Josiup Ilicic.
His quick pass exploited the gaps still in the home defence, the overlapping Davide Zappacosta crossed and Mario Pasalic converted comfortably.
It was stunning but in the context of United’s recent woes - one win in five, one clean sheet in the past 19 games - sadly predictable and the home crowd, unquestioningly supportive to that point, was clearly and understandably unhappy.
Worse was to follow, however, for them and Solskjaer.
On 29 minutes, the visitors won a corner to ease a spell of light pressure from the home side and Teun Koopmeiners’ right-flank kick again exploited basic shortcomings in the United defence.
Merit Demiral rose between Maguire and Shaw to firmly head the corner past David de Gea from six yards. It was a piece of defending that would have shamed a schoolboy team; for a United defence containing the world’s most expensive defender in Maguire, it was a catastrophe.
Solskjaer had already gambled, even before kick-off, leaving out Paul Pogba in favour of Rashford, and a couple of early pacy runs from the England forward suggested this might be a night for him to come to his manager’s rescue.
But it took until the 20th minute for United to create a chance of note via Ronaldo’s committed run to the by-line and a cross which just skimmed over Fernandes to be met by Fred, whose shot was parried by Juan Musso.
There was a stronger end to the half as well, first when Fred raced onto a Fernandes ball and shot wide from a good position for the second time on the night.
And in first-half injury-time Rashford came closest to handing his manager a lifeline as he raced clear only to clip the top of the Atalanta cross-bar from a glorious position.
The crowd, urged on by Solskjaer as he walked down the tunnel at the break, certainly got behind their beleaguered stars at the start of the season half and Fernandes finally found his range with a pass for Ronaldo who forced Musso into a solid block.
The first goal followed and United maintained the pressure, Ronaldo winning a free-kick on the edge of the area then sending a thumping set-piece just wide of the goal as the Italians finally looked rattled.
Scott McTominay volleyed against the post, from Mason Greenwood’s right-wing cross, moments later and the Reds finally looked capable of rescuing something from this disastrous opening hour.
They maintained the pressure, with Ronaldo drawing a smart fingertip save out of the Atalanta goalkeeper although there were reminders of the dangers posed by the Italians as an attacking force after 70 minutes.
David de Gea, a virtual second half spectator, made a spectacular double save from Duvan Zapata and Russian Malinovskyi to somehow keep United alive in the contest - stops that proved so crucial when United claimed their second goal of the night.
De Gea 7; Wan-Bissaka 4, Lindelof 4, Maguire 4, Shaw 5; McTominay 5 (Pogba 66, 6), Fred 6 (Matic 88); Greenwood 6 (Sancho 73, 6), Fernandes 6, Rashford 7 (Cavani 66, 6); Ronaldo 8. Substitutes (not used) Bailly, Mata, Lingard, Dalot, Henderson, Telles, van de Beek, Elanga.
Musso 7; de Roon 6, Demiral 7 (Lovato 45, 6), Palomino 6; Zappacosta 9 (Miranchuk 67, 6), Freuler 6, Koopmeiners 6 (Pezzella 80), Maehle 7; Pasalic 8 (Malinovskyi 67, 6); Ilicic 7, Muriel 7 (Zapata 56, 6). Substitutes (not used) Rossi, Scalvini, Sportiello, Piccoli.
S Marciniak (Poland) 7.
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