RON OF THOSE NIGHTS!
Cristiano caps epic comeback to remember at Old Trafford
AN epic comeback defined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United playing career and this one may just have done the same for him as manager.
With United trailing 2-0 at half-time and staring at a fifth defeat in eight games, Solskjaer’s position was looking increasingly precarious, despite assurances from the club he was safe.
But just as Solskjaer, below, capped the most remarkable comeback in United’s history to clinch the 1999 Treble, his side took from their boss to stage a formidable fightback that has kept him in a job.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and skipper Harry Maguire in the second half salvaged what looked like a lost cause for United, before Cristiano Ronaldo plundered the winner with an unstoppable header.
After an abject first half, United finally found their rhythm and played with the enterprise and verve that has been sorely lacking in recent weeks.
But this victory was just the boost United needed ahead of Sunday’s visit of Liverpool, who are in rampant form but who will know they will be in a for a fight against rejuvenated opponents.
Solskjaer responded to Saturday’s 4-2 defeat at Leicester by dropping Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho, with Fred, Scott McTominay and Rashford replacing them.
Pogba could have few complaints at his demotion to the bench, having lacked influence in recent weeks, his claim “something has to change” resulting in Solskjaer deciding to drop him. Atalanta arrived sixth in Serie A and without five injured players, but victory at Liverpool in last season’s Champions League suggested they would not be overawed at facing United at home.
And it was the visitors who took the lead in the 15th minute, United prised
open too easily, Luis Muriel’s quick free-kick finding Davide Zappacosta, whose cross was converted by Mario Pasalic.
There were so many guilty parties in red shirts, it was hard to know who to blame, but Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Maguire were all culpable.
United immediately set about getting back on level terms, Fred forcing a fine reflex save from Atalanta goalkeeper Juan Musso, who tipped his goal-bound effort over the bar. But the situation went from bad to worse for the hosts in the 29th minute, when Merih Demiral rose unchallenged to power a header beyond David De Gea, to make it 2-0 to Atalanta.
Maguire, who was patently unfit in the defeat by Leicester, was nowhere near Demiral, Solskjaer’s side undone by a set-play again this season.
When United did get sight of the Atalanta goal, they were found wanting, Fred curling the ball wide of the target a minute before the break, Rashford clipping the bar moments later in added time.
Ronaldo burst through two minutes after the restart and was denied by Musso, but Rashford pulled one back for United with a clinical, angled finish five minutes later.
Maguire turned the ball in and it was left to Ronaldo to provide the fitting finale, rising high to head United’s winner into the net and send the Theatre of Dreams into collective delirium.