Cristiano Ronaldo

MANCHESTER, England - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær said Cristiano Ronaldo had answered many critics of his value to the team with his display in the 3-2 Champions League win over Atalanta on Wednesday.

Ronaldo grabbed the 81st minute winner with a superbly executed header to maintain his 100% scoring record in group F after three games.

But Solskjær took aim at those who had questioned whether the Portuguese forward, the Champions League record goalscorer, contributed enough work-rate to his side.

It was always going to be Cristiano Ronaldo. With Atalanta’s depleted squad running on fumes at Old Trafford, Harry Maguire’s 75th-minute equalizer set the stage for the inevitable: Cristiano Ronaldo hanging in the air, posterizing José Luis Palomino and directing a downward header inside the post for the win. 

It was Ronaldo’s 300th appearance across all competitions for Manchester United, and he’ll remember it fondly after completing the Red Devils’ improbable second half comeback. 

Manchester United and Everton shared the points at Old Trafford on Saturday after drawing 1-1. The moment everyone is talking about is the Andros Townsend SIUUU celebration after the Everton forward leveled the game at 1-1.

The goal came off a fantastic Toffee counterattack that featured Fred getting bullied, a sublime finish and some Townsend shithousery. The celebration that followed was perfect.

There are some things that will never get old, no matter how often they happen or how much you hate the team doing it. Two of those things are volleys off set pieces and Cristiano Ronaldo taking his shirt off to celebrate a goal. Both happened on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

"Life goes on" was the message from coach Massimiliano Allegri after learning of Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave last month, but four Serie A games into a future without their former talisman, Juventus continue to go from one disaster to the next

The reaction in Turin to the Portuguese forward's departure for English Premier League side Manchester United was mixed.

England's Manchester United and Italy's Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo's current and former teams, both suffered hefty financial losses for 2020-21 as the coronavirus crisis drained European soccer stadiums of fans.

While Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward expressed confidence in United's recovery as Old Trafford hosts capacity crowds for the first time in almost 18 months, Juventus said it would also end its 2021-22 financial year, which will still be heavily affected by the pandemic, with a "significant loss."