Goals from Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford had already been enough to secure a win over the visitors from Tiraspol in Moldova before Ronaldo finally claimed his goal – his first at Old Trafford this season – 10 minutes from time.
At that point, Dalot had scored as many times from open play this season – once – as his more illustrious team-mate.
But Ronaldo rectified that statistic when he met a Bruno Fernandes cross with a firm header which was well saved before he forced the loose ball over the line.
Dalot had finally broken the Molodvan resistance in the final minute of the first half, scoring with United’s 13th attempt of the period.
It followed the first defensive mistake of the evening from the visitors as they allowed Dalot to meet a Christian Eriksen corner and head past Maxym Koval from four yards.
It was a goal that was all the more painful for Sheriff who should have taken the lead from their first, and only, attack of the half five minutes earlier when Ibrahim Rasheed mis-timed his run and failed to connect with Patrick Kpozo’s cross with the goal at his mercy.
Antony and ‘the spin’
“Embarrassing,” Robbie Savage said on BT Sport after Antony did his trademark spin in the 38th minute when under no pressure before passing the ball out for a goal kick.
“I don’t know what he’s doing,” Paul Scholes added. “It’s ridiculous.”
Antony was substituted at half-time, with Marcus Rashford coming replacing him.
But aside from that, it was purely one-way traffic as United sought the win that would leave them with a chance of clinching top place in the group, if they win by two clear goals at Real Sociedad next week.
The recalled Ronaldo had to share centre stage with teenage debutant Alejandro Garnacho, who excited the crowd with his every touch on the left wing.
And the pair played their roles in what quickly became a training ground exercise of attack versus defence with United, as has been the case in recent weeks, needing to carve out a worrying quantity of chances to score goals.
Ronaldo finally had the ball in the Sheriff goal just after the hour, hooking in a Fernandes header after an accurate Rashford cross, only to be called back by an offside flag.
But Rashford put the tie beyond the visitors’ reach on 64 minutes with a nonchalant, but unerringly accurate, eight-yard header after neat approach play and a Luke Shaw cross.
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