Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo donned the hero's cape once again, scoring two goals to rescue his team Manchester United from a potential defeat against their Italian hosts Atalanta, resulting in a 2-2 draw on Tuesday in the fourth round of Group F matches in the first stage of the UEFA Champions League. This match also saw Spanish side Villarreal defeat Young Boys 2-0.
Ronaldo denied Atalanta a crucial step towards qualification for the knockout stage (round of 16) in a competition that the Italian team has only participated in for the third time. Atalanta's points tally rose to five, placing them third in the group, while Manchester United increased their points to seven, falling to second place only on goal difference behind Villarreal.
In the Italian city of Bergamo, Atalanta showcased a strong tactical performance, with their attack led by Duvan Zapata posing significant threats to Manchester's goal. The home team seemed on track to secure a win until Ronaldo struck twice during injury time of both halves.
The first half ended in a 1-1 draw, with Atalanta initially taking the lead through Josip Ilicic's goal in the 12th minute. Ronaldo equalized for Manchester United in the first minute of injury time. In the second half, Zapata scored to put Atalanta ahead again in the 56th minute, but Ronaldo managed to level the score once more in the first minute of injury time, boosting his tally to five goals in four group-stage matches this season.
Atalanta had successfully advanced from the group stage in both of their previous Champions League appearances and hoped to repeat that achievement this season. In the first half, Atalanta played intelligently, dominating possession and controlling the game flow, translating this into a clean goal, while Manchester offered little of note apart from Ronaldo's equalizer.
Ronaldo opened the match with a long-range shot that was weakly saved by keeper Juan Musso. Atalanta pressed Manchester in the following minutes, and Manchester almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute when Marcus Rashford's shot rebounded to Scott McTominay, whose attempt deflected off the defense but hit the post before being cleared.
Atalanta regained control, causing problems for Manchester's defense, while Manchester relied on long balls aimed at Ronaldo and Rashford. Atalanta's attempt yielded the breakthrough goal by Ilicic in the 12th minute after a swift organized attack and a low cross from Zapata. The goal was confirmed after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check.
The goal spurred Manchester to seek a quick response, with Ronaldo attempting a fast break in the 14th minute, but Musso managed to collect the ball just in time. Ronaldo then set up Luke Shaw, whose shot went over the goal.
Atalanta continued to press in the middle of the first half, with Zapata and his teammates unsettling Manchester's defense, though they still lacked real threats on goal. By contrast, Manchester's quick counters produced no opportunities on Atalanta's goal.
Defender Raphael Varane contributed by clearing the ball from a looming Zapata in the 31st minute. Manchester was forced to make a substitution in the 38th minute, with Mason Greenwood replacing the injured Varane.
Manchester rallied towards the end of the half, successfully snatching an equalizing goal just before the break thanks to Ronaldo, following a swift organized attack orchestrated by Bruno Fernandes, who set up Ronaldo to score.
Both teams resumed their attacking efforts in the second half, with Greenwood's shot hitting the Atalanta crossbar in the 50th minute, ruled offside by the referee.
In the 56th minute, Zapata scored during a rapid Atalanta counterattack, rounding past defender Harry Maguire and goalkeeper David De Gea. Initially ruled offside, the goal was confirmed after VAR review.
Atalanta players excellently pressured their opponents in the ensuing minutes to prevent genuine scoring threats on Musso's goal. Manchester manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made two substitutions in the 69th minute, introducing Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani for Paul Pogba and Rashford, respectively.
Manchester maintained possession but struggled to create real threats as Atalanta's pressure remained effective against Manchester’s stars. As the match approached critical moments, United intensified their attack, causing some concerns, but Atalanta's counterattacks also proved dangerous.
In the 79th minute, Zapata was unlucky as his powerful header struck above the crossbar. De Gea then made a challenging save from a long-range shot by Zapata in the 85th minute.
Finally, Ronaldo equalized for the visitors during injury time, receiving a setup from Greenwood just outside the box, unleashing a powerful drive to the right of the goalkeeper.
In the other group match, Villarreal defeated Young Boys 2-0 with goals from Etienne Capoue and Arnaud Groeneveld in the 36th and 89th minutes, leaving Young Boys stuck at three points in fourth place in the group.
