Manchester United was able to get themselves on the board after they won against Villarreal in their second game of the Champions League at Old Trafford on Thursday. Villarreal dominated the first half as the Red Devils goalkeeper David Gea had to make a couple of crucial saves.
The visitors took the much-deserved lead when Paco Alcacer scored in the 53rd minute. However, Alex Telles equalized for the United as he scored on the volley, provided by United’s captain Bruno Fernandes.
It looked like Manchester United’s wait for their first win in the UEFA Champions League in this season will continue but Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the stoppage time to get his team over the line against the tourists.
Ronaldo gave his gratitude to the United fans and said that they motivated the team when they were trailing in the game.
‘Now everything is possible everything is open and we believe we will go through,’ he told BT Sport. ‘This is why I came back, I missed this club a lot. I made history in this club, and I want to do it again.
‘I have to say thank you to all of them [the fans], not just for me, but to push the team which will be very important especially this season.’
On the other hand, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been under the pump in the recent past, was relieved after his team’s thrilling win at Old Trafford.
‘It is a massive result for the team and the spirit of the team as well,’ Solskjaer said afterward. ‘We gave ourselves a difficult job with the sending off in the last game [Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the defeat at Young Boys] so to get three points at home is important – now we need to get to 10 or maybe 12 to get through.
Solskjaer heaped praise on Ronaldo, who has made a sublime contribution to United’s success since he has re-joined the club.
‘He has done that so many times. When you saw him against Ireland a [few] weeks ago [for Portugal] he missed a penalty early, didn’t touch the ball more or less, then scored two great headers in the last two minutes. ‘That is just what he has done throughout his career, he is so strong mentally, he just stays in the game.
‘I have seen him all day today, the way he has built himself up for this game, how focused he has been and when he gets that one chance it is a goal. ‘He had a couple of half decent headers in the first half that could have ended up with chances but it is the mark of a true finisher that he comes alive when the chance arrives.’
