Old boy Ronaldo ready to steamroll United Real pressure on Lopetegui mounts
Star forward returns to Old Trafford in Juventus colours, eager to let his football do the talking
MANCHESTER: Cristiano Ronaldo will always be fondly remembered at Old Trafford, but as the five-time Ballon d’or winner rolls back into town this week, this former hero may be the last sight Manchester United want to see.
Ronaldo made his name in Manchester, scoring 118 goals, winning three Premier League titles and the first of his five Champions Leagues before a then world record move to Real Madrid.
On Tuesday he returns in the colours of Juventus, eager to let his football do the talking with the cloud of a rape accusation in the United States dating back to just before he made the move to Madrid in 2009 blighting his early days with the Italian giants.
Ronaldo strongly denies the allegation and has been backed by his club, but it remains to be seen if the hero worship afforded to the Portuguese on his last visit to Old Trafford in 2013 is dialled down a little by the United fans.
That night he broke United hearts, none more so than his old mentor Alex Ferguson in what proved to be his last European match in charge with the winning goal in a contentious tie.
“It was an unbelievable night, a very emotional night and what the supporters did for me was massive,” he said of his reception.
Ronaldo, though, has little room for sentiment when it comes to furnishing his own legacy. Five years ago his mission to was to land Madrid’s longawaited 10th European Cup. It took an extra year, but he eventually did so, as well as an 11th, 12th, and 13th before departing this summer.
That is how Ronaldo rolls and no one is more aware of that than his manager the night he last triumphed in Manchester, and now United boss, Jose Mourinho.
“Cristiano is still a top player. I think he likes to come back here, he did when he was with Real Madrid. But, of course, when he returns with a new team he comes to do a job, for them.”
The job now is to win the Champions League with a third different club and Juventus’ first in 22 years. That is why the Vec- Despite Ronaldo’s loving relationship with Manchester United and their fans, the Champions League’s all-time top-scorer has shown no mercy. During his time with Real Madrid, the Spanish giants faced United on three occasions. Ronaldo scored twice over the two legs in the round of 16 ties, including scoring the winning goal at Old Trafford that ensured Real’s progression and United’s exit.
After being sent off in his first CL game for
Juventus against Valencia, Ronaldo will be looking to put the disappointing start behind him. He will also be keen to catch up with Lionel Messi, who has scored five goals in his first two games. Ronaldo is yet to score agoalin the European competition this season. With the Argentine likely to miss the next two games with a broken arm, Ronaldo can make up.
The tie also brings Ronaldo face to face with former manager Jose Mourinho, under whom he scored 60 times in 55 matches during the 2011-12 campaign at Real. But when on opposite sides, Ronaldo has not fared well against Jose. The 33-year-old has scored only one goal against Mourinho-coached teams in 14 appearances. In United colours Ronaldo failed to net against Jose’s Chelsea, only ending his dry spell with a goal against the Portuguese’s Inter in 2009.
chia Signora paid Madrid 112 million euros for a 33-year-old.
“Juventus is one of the teams in Europe that invested to win the Champions League,” added Mourinho when the draw was made. “They don’t need to invest to win the Scudetto (Italian league title). They’ve won the Scudetto for seven years.”
Top scorer in the Champions League for the past six years, Ronaldo is yet to break his European (all competitions) United: Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba Juventus: Cristiano Ronaldo
duck with Juventus after being sent-off just 30 minutes into his Champions League debut for the club against Valencia, and missing the visit of Young Boys through suspension.
Juventus proved despite the fanfare surrounding his signing, they remain much more than just Ronaldo by winning both games comfortably anyway to sit top of the group and well-placed for the last 16.
United’s situation is more perilous as a 0-0 draw at home to Valencia last time out leaves them with work to do despite also easing past Young Boys 3-0.
A run of four wins from their first nine Premier League games also does little to suggest they are likely to inflict Juve’s first defeat of the season.
Even against old friends, United know from experience Ronaldo rarely shows any mercy. matches in their history.
One theory goes that Perez is keeping the treasury full in preparation for a fresh tilt for Neymar next summer. It might explain too why a move for Eden Hazard has never been pushed through.
In the meantime, Zinedine Zidane and now, Lopetegui, have been charged with papering over the cracks.
Zidane managed it, spectacularly, by winning in Europe, although if Michael Oliver had not puffed his whistle for a borderline 98th-minute penalty against Juventus, Madrid would have been out in the last 16. In La Liga, they finished 17 points behind Barcelona.
Three Champions League titles in a row is no fluke, just as two interventions from the Video Assistant Referee were not the sole reason Madrid lost at home to Levante for the first time in 11 years.
Defensive mistakes, panicky finishing and stodgy build-up all reflected badly on Lopetegui, who made matters worse by leaving Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema on the bench.
Both endured fitness issues over the international break but were excellent in the second half. By then, it was too late.
“I believe in this team more than ever,” Lopetegui said.