Cristiano Ronaldo scored a last-gasp winner forManchester United against Villarreal in the Champions League.- The strike was his fifth in six games since re-joining the club in the summer.
- But his heroics at Old Trafford are merely covering the cracks of a team massively underperforming.
Cristiano Ronaldo rescued Manchester United from another slip in the Champions League, but his heroics are merely covering the cracks at a club that is massively underperforming.
The 36-year-old hit a 95th minute winner against Villarreal on Wednesday night to hand United a 2-1 victory and its first in the competition this season.
Cries of "Viva Ronaldo!" rang around at Old Trafford at the final whistle.
But United should have lost the match.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side was dominated from near start to finish by its Spanish opposition. Had it not been for some poor finishing and a handful of outstanding saves from goalkeeper David de Gea, the game could have quite easily been over by the time the visitors took the lead through striker Paco Alcacer just after half-time.
A sensational strike from defender Alex Telles brought United level, but it remained under the cosh until Ronaldo's last-gasp winner.
When Solskjaer's men did break forward, the lack of cohesion in the final third was clear to see, with Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, and Paul Pogba unable to combine to any real effect.
Solskjaer admitted after the match: "We got lucky in the end."
What he actually meant was that the team was saved by Ronaldo, and it isn't the first time isn't happened this season.
Since his sensational return to Old Trafford in the summer, Ronaldo has scored five goals in six matches. His brace in United's 4-1 over Newcastle United on the opening day of the Premier League made for a second debut to remember, but the scoreline was flattering.
A week later he scored the equalizer against West Ham United as United scraped a 2-1 win, with Jesse Lingard netting in the final minute. Against Villarreal, Ronaldo's injury-time goal again proved vital.
But when Ronaldo is absent, so are United. Playing West Ham again, this time in the EFL Cup and with Ronaldo not in the squad, United lost 1-0.
Against Aston Villa in the Premier League last week, Ronaldo had a rare quiet game. Without his individual brilliance sparking United to life, it again lost 1-0.
United can't rely on Ronaldo forever. He is, after all, 36-years-old and entering the twilight of his career. Even though he keeps himself in unnaturally good shape, he's still ancient in terms of attacking
Instead, Solskjaer needs to work on getting the best out of the rest of his team, on which he's spent over $540 million since his appointment in 2019.
He needs to get Jadon Sancho, the future of the club, firing as he did for Borussia Dortmund over the past three seasons. He needs to get Paul Pogba playing the way, and in the position, he does for France. Most of all, he needs to get all his attacking players on the same wavelength.
For now, however, the Norwegian boss seems content to bet it all on Ronaldo.
"When you have Cristiano on the pitch, you always have a chance," he said after the win of Villarreal.