Ronaldo paces Juventus win in his return to Old Trafford

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND Cristiano Ronaldo was walking off the field, a winner once again at Old Trafford, when two young fans brandishing cellphones attempted to get to the Portugal superstar.

One was tackled to the ground by security staff; the other was forcibly held back. But the fivetime world player of the year hung around, and with a broad smile, eventually gave them the selfie they craved.

Ronaldo certainly enjoyed his return to former club Manchester United on Tuesday.

Juventus, Ronaldo’s new team, beat United 1-0 for a third straight win in the Champions League, moving the Italian club to the brink of qualification just halfway through the group phase.

Unlike the last time he was at the stadium — for Real Madrid in 2013 — Ronaldo didn’t score, but he was involved in the only goal, sending in a cross from the right wing that was swept home by Paulo Dybala in the 17th minute.

Dangerous going forward and obdurate at the back, Juventus delivered a powerful performance that extended its unbeaten start to the season to 11 games and strengthened its status as one of the serious contenders for the Champions League — a competition it hasn’t won since 1996.

With Ronaldo leading the attack, this might be its best chance in years to end the drought.

“We played against one of the biggest — really biggest — candidates to win the Champions League,” said United manager Jose Mourinho, praising the Italian side.

For United, the loss highlighted the gulf between the heavyweights of the continent and what was once England’s top team.

In other Champions League matches on Tuesday, Real Madrid edged Viktoria Plzen 2-1 and Bayern Munich blanked AEK Athens 2-0.