Ronaldo back on the scoresheet as United ease to win
BACK IN FAVOUR: Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League Group E match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Pic: Nigel French/PA Wire
Cristiano Ronaldo’s frustrations in front of goal finally ended on his return from suspension as Manchester United coasted into the Europa League knock-out stages.
Goals from Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford had already been enough to secure a win over the visitors from Tiraspol in Moldova before Ronaldo finally claimed his goal 10 minutes from time.
At that point, Dalot had scored as many goals from open play this season – one – as his more illustrious team-mate.
But Ronaldo rectified that statistic when he met a Bruno Fernandes cross with a firm header which was well saved before he forced the loose ball over the line.
Dalot had finally broken the Molodvan resistance in the final minute of the first half, scoring with United’s 13th attempt of the period.
It followed the first defensive mistake of the evening from the visitors as they allowed Dalot to meet a Christian Eriksen corner and head past Maxym Koval from four yards.
It was a goal that was all the more painful for Sheriff who should have taken the lead from their first, and only, attack of the half five minutes earlier when Ibrahim Rasheed mis-timed his run and failed to connect with Patrick Kpozo’s cross with the goal at his mercy.
But aside from that, it was purely one-way traffic as United sought the win that would leave them with a chance of clinching top place in the group, if they win by two clear goals in Spain next week.
The recalled Ronaldo was prominent, although the announcement of his name before kick-off was met by a smattering of boos after his refusal to come on as a substitute for ten Hag against Spurs last week.
And he was largely outshone by teenage debutant Alejandro Garnacho who excited the crowd with his every touch on the left wing.
Garnacho was born one week after Ronaldo scored for Portugal in the penalty shoot-out that knocked England out of Euro 2004 but was clearly not in awe of sharing the field with his iconic team-mate.
That pair played their roles in what quickly became a training ground exercise of attack versus defence with United, as has been the case in recent weeks, needing to carve out a worrying quantity of chances to score goals.
Casemiro’s header, from an Eriksen corner, was blocked on the line by Stjepan Radeljic before Ronaldo headed inches over from yet another corner.
The keeper then saved from Eriksen at full stretch, recovering to deny Ronaldo as he closed in on the rebound, and Tyrell Malacia slalomed his way into a shooting opportunity only to be thwarted, once more, by the legs of Koval.
The goal should have calmed nerves, even if United’s demanding manager would have been looking for far more, and ten Hag responded by bringing on Rashford for the under-performing Antony at the break.
He also threw on Harry Maguire, for his first taste of first-team football in seven weeks, although his reception from the home crowd was mixed.
It did not appear that Maguire would be over-worked in the United defence as his side continued their relentless march on the Tiraspol goal.
Eriksen, surprisingly, pulled rank on Ronaldo at a 51st minute free-kick, as the pair hovered over the ball 25 yards out, but cleared the goal by some margin.
And, on 58 minutes, the contest should have been over as Eriksen spotted Ronaldo, in space for once, and delivered a perfect through ball only for the unmarked veteran to take a touch and clear the goal with a wayward effort.
Ronaldo finally had the ball in the Sheriff goal just after the hour, hooking in a Fernandes header after an accurate Rashford cross, only to be called back by an offside flag.
But Rashford put the tie beyond the visitors’ reach on 64 minutes with a nonchalant, but unerringly accurate, eight-yard header after neat approach play and a Luke Shaw cross.
De Gea 6; Dalot 7 (Shaw 62, 7), Lindelof 6, Martinez 7 (Maguire 45, 6), Malacia 7; Eriksen 8, Casemiro 7 (McTominay 62, 6); Antony 5 (Rashford 45, 7), Fernandes 7, Garnacho 7 (van de Beek 79, 5); Ronaldo 7.
Fred, Heaton, Sancho, Pellistri, Dubravka, Elanga, Iqbal.
Koval 8; Guedes 5, Kiki 6, Radeljic 7, Kpozo 6; Badolo 5 (Gliga 90), Diop 6 (Hatman 79, 5), Kyabou 5, Mudasiru 5, Rasheed 5 (Pernambuco 77, 5); Atiemwen 6.
Celeadnic, Pascenco, Heron, Vizeu, Ignatov, Covali.
T Sidiropoulos (Greece) 7
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