Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Manchester United came from behind on two separate occasions to draw 2-2 against Atalanta in Bergamo and boost their hopes of reaching the Champions League last-16.
Josip Ilicic put the home side ahead after 12 minutes, but Ronaldo equalised just before the stroke of half-time after combining well with Bruno Fernandes.
Atalanta regained the lead shortly after the restart when Duvan Zapata shovelled a finish beyond David De Gea, however, Ronaldo came to his side’s rescue once again with a clinical volley in injury time.
Here’s how United’s key players rated on the night.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 8/10
Ronaldo was sensational against Spurs on Saturday night and continued where he left off on Tuesday by scoring with a typically emphatic finish to draw his side level. Prior to his return from Juventus, there were question marks over how well he would gel with Fernandes given the pair had failed to hit it off during Portugal’s unsuccessful Euro 2020 campaign; his first goal suggested that they are very much on the same wavelength.
And then just as it looked as though United were running out of time to take anything from the game, Ronaldo fired in a crisp finish from the edge of the box to restore parity. It was his fifth goal in four Champions League games this season and nine in 11 games in all competitions. Now 36, some of Ronaldo’s superpowers are beginning to flicker away, but he remains an absolutely lethal finisher.
Bruno Fernandes – 7/10
Ronaldo was the scorer, but the goal was all about Fernandes’ assist. It didn’t quite register on the Guti scale of backheel assists, but it was a superb piece of improvisation from United’s No 10 regardless, taking both Merih Demiral and Marten de Roon out of the game in a split-second. It was his 33rd assist in 95 United appearances; a mark of his importance to this side in the final third.
Fernandes was less involved in the second period as Atalanta’s hard-working midfield duo Remo Freuler and Teun Koopmeiners doubled up on him whenever he received the ball. Even so, it was a surprise when Solskjaer opted to replace him with Donny van de Beek for the final few minutes. Fernandes didn’t look best-pleased with his manager’s decision.
Paul Pogba – 3/10
Paul Pogba’s last act in a Manchester United shirt prior to Tuesday’s game was to get himself sent off within 15 minutes of coming on as a substitute in the 5-0 drubbing against Liverpool for an ugly, studs-up challenge on Naby Keita. There was no such rush of blood on this occasion, although the Frenchman endured a torrid evening alongside Scott McTominay in United’s engine room.
It was the type of performance that provides ammunition to his critics. Pogba was far too sloppy and casual in possession, losing the ball in dangerous areas on a couple of occasions in the first-half to invite pressure on his defence. It was an indicator of his performance that Pogba was taken off 23 minutes from time despite McTominay being cautioned earlier on in proceedings.
Eric Bailly – 8/10
Eric Bailly reportedly did not take too kindly to being left out for a half-fit Harry Maguire during last month’s miserable 4-2 defeat against Leicester and he looked eager to prove his manager wrong after being called upon to replace the injured Victor Lindelof. The Ivorian came out of nowhere to make a heroic, last-ditch block to deny a Duvan Zapata effort from close-range in the first-half.
That was a theme of the night, with Bailly frequently stopping Atalanta’s players in the nick of time as they looked to race through on goal. With Raphael Varane hobbling off midway through the first-half and Lindelof suffering a knock in training on Monday, Bailly may well be required to play alongside Maguire in the Manchester derby this weekend. On this evidence, Maguire is a bigger worry than Bailly is.
David De Gea – 4/10
De Gea has been one of Manchester United’s best players this season, but he did not cover himself in glory for Atalanta’s opener. Josip Ilicic’s low strike evaded a sea of bodies in front of the United ‘keeper, but it was still a tame effort that should have been comfortably stopped. Instead, De Gea misjudged it horribly, allowing the ball to squirm under his body and ricochet off his frame into the bottom corner.
He didn’t exactly cover himself in glory for the second goal either, allowing Zapata to score from inside his six-yard-box despite having an age to track the ball on its way into the area. A more decisive goalkeeper would have taken action, even if there was a suspicion of offside. Credit where its due, he made a fine stop to deny Zapata a second late on.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3CFqb6p
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