The last sight Italian football had of Cristiano Ronaldo in one of its stadiums was of an angry man. He had one foot out of the door of Juventus, eyeing a return to English football. But he packed plenty of drama into his last 40 minutes as Serie A’s superstar.
Juventus were away at Udinese, on the late-August opening day of the current league season. Soon after Udinese had pulled a goal back from 2-0 down, Ronaldo, who had started on the bench because informal talks about his moving were already under way, was brought on. He was fuming when Udinese equalised. Being Ronaldo he reacted with defiance, to pump a header just off target, seeking a late winning goal.
Being Ronaldo, he kept at it, and when, in the fourth minute of stoppage, he leapt to power in a Federico Cheisa cross, all of Italy was reminded that, even in his 20th season as a senior professional CR7 is not ready to be displaced as king of the dramatic comeback. He stripped off his shirt, certain he had won the game. He was livid when VAR, after an agonisingly long deliberation, ruled him offside by the length of an elbow joint.
Five days later he was signing, for a second time in his career, for Manchester United, in whose colours he returns to northern Italy this evening, with another comeback in prospect.
Win in Bergamo against Atalanta and United would go within a point of securing progress out of their Champions League group — a group in which they lost their opening match, to Young Boys of Switzerland, and trailed in their next two, at home to Villarreal and Atalanta. Ronaldo, 36, sealed the turnaround from defeat to victory in both those matches.
The Atalanta manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, shared his thoughts on Ronaldo’s first return to Italy since leaving Juventus and he was generous in his appreciation of the player. “I was actually sorry he moved back to England,” said Gasperini, “because I always like to see the best footballers playing in Italy. He added value to our football. He is simply exceptional, but saying that only repeats what everybody recognises.”
But not everybody has witnessed Ronaldo’s late match-winning knack in quite such concentration as the Atalanta coach.
Rewind to Ronaldo’s first season with Juventus, 2018/19, when ambitious, enterprising Atalanta welcomed the reigning Italian champions to Bergamo in late December with impressive gumption. They led Juve 2-1, with 12 minutes to go. Cue Ronaldo, with a header, and the equaliser.
Manchester United 3 Atalanta 2: player ratings
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MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea 7 - Another game where United failed to keep a clean sheet – the 12th and the worst record since 1963-64. Fine double save after 71 minutes in his 50th Champions League game – which kept his side in the game. Deserved to be on the winning side. AP -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka 5 - Bystander in the first half. Made it easier for Atalanta’s opener in a timid start when United fell behind for the fifth time in seven Champions League home games. Better in second. Broke forward in a four against three after 64 and played the ball to set up Rashford. AFP -
Victor Lindelof 5 - Not his best game – you could say that for any of the defenders. Positioning poor for first goal, the defensive positioning was generally. Bullied by Zapata after 71, but the Swede’s goalkeeper saved him. AFP -
Harry Maguire 5 - One of three players around Muriel, yet none of them could stop his header making it 2-0 to Atalanta. Met a corner with his head after 73, but the effort went straight at goalkeeper Musso. A minute later, he equalised, firing in like a Yorkshire Marco van Basten. AP -
Luke Shaw 6 - Poor marking for the second – another set piece where United conceded. Far better in second when he went on a run right at the start – that set the tempo. Booked. AFP -
Fred 6 - Struck a half volley on target after 17 minutes. Had another great chance but wasted it. Nicked a ball on 69 which set up an attack. Showed character. Off injured late on. AFP -
Scott McTominay 6 - Positive run forward to set up Rashford. Switched off for Atalanta’s opener and couldn’t get to Pasalic. Struck a Greenwood cross against the post after 58. PA -
Bruno Fernandes 6 - Struggled to find his range with passes which didn’t find their man. Did find Fred with one and Ronaldo just after half time and then set up Rashford with an exquisite ball. Much better in the second and on the ball more than any player as he evaded his man marker, but form not what it was. AP -
Marcus Rashford 6 - Back after a long injury. Pulled a shot wide after three minutes – but he was just offside. Lots of running in a deeply frustrating first half. Smashed a shot against the crossbar on 45. Held on to ball too much, but then swept United’s first goal in to get his side back in the game. A threat. AP -
Mason Greenwood 5 - Struggled to get into the game in the first half, then set up McTominay after 58. Fed Ronaldo after 69 but pass was a little too heavy. AP -
Cristiano Ronaldo 7 - Superb run and cross after 19 as United came to life after going behind. Shot saved at start of second and then another after he turned on 63 to force a fingertip save. After pulling two defenders away allowing Maguire to equalise, he then did what he does and scored a late winner for a second successive Champions League home game. EPA -
SUBS: Paul Pogba 7 - Dropped but came on for McTominay after 65. Effective in the middle. Didn’t panic. Passed well. Made a difference. EPA -
Edinson Cavani 7 - On for Rashford after 65, playing on the left of the central Ronaldo. Set up Maguire for the equaliser – showing smartness as he dummied the cross. Reuters -
Jadon Sancho 6 - On for Greenwood after 72 and straight to the right where he prefers. Bright. Getty -
Nemanja Matic N/A - On for Fred after 88. AFP -
United fans 9 - Never stopped singing and supporting their team, especially in the Stretford End, which the manager rightly highlighted. AFP
The next season, a similar story. Atalanta took their upstart energy to the Juventus stadium, led 1-0 at half-time and led 2-1 in the 90th minute. Guess who earned Juventus a point? Ronaldo converted both equalisers from the penalty spot.
At Old Trafford 13 nights ago, déjà vu for Gasperini and Atalanta, Ronaldo heading in the 81st-minute goal that turned a 2-0 half-time deficit into a 3-2 United victory. “We have to make sure we give him very little,” resolved Gasperini.
The blessing for Atalanta is that Merih Demiral, the central defender who scored against United but was then taken off with a muscle problem ahead of the second half turnaround, is fit to marshall Ronaldo. They are still, though, without injured defender Berat Djimsiti and the wing-backs Rafael Toloi and Robin Gosens.
Atalanta, described by United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as “attacking, aggressive, a team with a unispecial style” will likely stick to Gasperini’s preferred back-three system. Whether United also play with wing-backs and a front pairing, Ronaldo as one of them, remains to be seen.
It was successful against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and the system used for the 3-0 win in London corrected some of the flaws apparent in the home game against Atalanta and repeatedly exploited during the 5-0 Old Trafford defeat to Liverpool that followed.
“We have players to play many different systems — back three, back five, wide men, wingers,” said Solskjaer. “We looked at Tottenham, played that system and it worked. But I can't say what we will do against Atalanta.”
“We have a squad to play in many different ways. You can put any system out but it is about the players executing. The way we played was more important than the system and the attitude at Spurs was spot on. If we get consistency we will get results. This is the chance to prove we can go again.”
