Cristiano Ronaldo Earned Manchester United All Three Points On Premier League Return

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return to Manchester United with two goals, as he twice gave them the lead against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

You could have been forgiven for thinking that United's game on Saturday was Ronaldo's testimonial, with everything centred on the forward.

It was his first game back in England's top tier for over 12 years, having moved to Real Madrid in 2009, and all eyes were on him after he was named in the starting line up.

United had a pretty slow start to the game, and struggled to create too many clear cut chances, with Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire both having their best chances from corners, and Newcastle arguably had the better opportunities.

However, in typical fashion, Ronaldo made it 1-0 to the hosts in the second minute of injury time at the end of the first half, changing the team talks for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Steve Bruce.

Mason Greenwood took a shot from the edge of the area, which took a deflection off a Newcastle defender, and made life difficult for goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.

Woodman could only parry the ball back into the box and it was Ronaldo who was the first to run onto it to tap into an empty net, to give his side the lead.

Woodman fails to stop Ronaldo's first. Image: PA Images

If Solskjaer thought that his side would have it all their own way in the second half, having taken that late lead in the first, then he was extremely misguided.

Newcastle unlocked their opponents defence with ease, in the 55th minute, with Allan Saint-Maximin playing in Javier Manquillo in the box.

The full back ran onto the ball and slotted beyond David de Gea, leaving Old Trafford stunned in a moment of silence, having come to praise their new man.

Ronaldo though was not to be denied his moment of glory, and it took him less than 10 minutes to put last season's Premier League runners up back in the lead.

This time Luke Shaw came running forward in the 62nd minute, he played a perfect through ball into the box for Ronaldo, with the former Juventus striker running onto it perfectly.

The 36-year-old took one touch with his right foot, rolling it into position for a shot on his left, and hit it with pace and power right through Woodman's legs.

Ronaldo celebrates his second in typical fashion. Image: PA Images

There's been plenty of jokes about Bruno Fernandes not scoring for the club now his countryman will likely be on penalties, but the midfielder once again proved people he's well capable of scoring away from the penalty spot.

The former Sporting man scored a hat-trick against Leeds without one on the opening day, and he added his own on Saturday with a worldie from the edge of the area.

The scoring wasn't done there though, with Jesse Lingard, on as a late substitute, scoring his first of the season for his club, with a lovely finish inside the box, but the headlines will still belong to Ronaldo.