Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Last Minute Goal To Seal Manchester United Comeback Win Against Villarreal
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Cristiano Ronaldo notched a dramatic 95th minute winner for Manchester United to complete a last-gap comeback Champions League win over Villarreal.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner wasn't too involved in the game overall but stepped up in the dying embers and beat Geronimo Rulli at his near post after clever work from Jesse Lingard in the box.
United had been 1-0 down to the team who beat them in the Europa League final last season, with Paco Alcacer putting Unai Emery's side ahead early on in the second half.
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But Alex Telles levelled with an exquisite volley before Ronaldo came up clutch again, notching a fifth goal in his second stint and on his record-breaking 178th Champions League appearance.
CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS IT LATE FOR MAN UTD!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 29, 2021
Listen to that Old Trafford roar 😍
Big players deliver in big moments.#UCL pic.twitter.com/7rcbEJzUQt
Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the winner in Fergie time. Couldn't write it. pic.twitter.com/5iGWwofpGM
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) September 29, 2021
He's done it again 😤
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 29, 2021
Look what it means to the Man Utd fans and players - and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - as Ronaldo delivers in the dying seconds.
A big three points when it didn't look likely...#UCL pic.twitter.com/eRiWdbnLxv
After bagging with what was more or less the last kick of the game, Ronaldo removed his shirt and was mobbed by his teammates in wild celebrations in front of the Stretford End.
Ronaldo's heroics came 12 years on from his last Champions League outing in United red and came on the night he broke Iker Casillas' appearance record in the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo now holds the following Champions League records:
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 29, 2021
Most appearances - 178
Most goals - 135
Most goals in a season - 17
Most goals in KO stages - 67
Most final wins - 5 pic.twitter.com/n1Zl4KdSEz
Since returning to Old Trafford in a €15 million switch from Juventus, Ronaldo has hit five goals in as many games - only failing to score in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.
United were heading towards a third consecutive home loss as well of bottom of the group but the late show means they have their first win of the Champions League group stage at the second time of asking.
Ronaldo's strike was actually United's latest in the history of the Champions League, beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's famous winner against Bayern Munich in the final at the Nou Camp in 1999.
Featured Image Credit: Image: BT Sport
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Champions League
