Football NewsCristiano Ronaldo Returns With a Band As He Unleashes a HAT-TRICK.
Post image

Regardless of the fact that he has scored just two goals since Christmas, Cristiano Ronaldo unleashed a hat-trick in the win against Tottenham.

The old anthems boomed around Old Trafford in celebration of a remarkable hat-trick — a thundering strike from 25 yards, a tap-in, and a wonderful header – and such are his Messianic characteristics that you might almost imagine it’s 2007-08 again and Manchester United are a coherently run football club.

Ronaldo’s opening was one of those unforgettable moments. Fred, who was exceptional throughout, laid off the ball and Ronaldo found himself in space. Eric Dier paused, which opened the door for Ronaldo to shoot.

It wasn’t quite the knuckleball free kick, when he puts his laces directly under the ball, but it was close, swirling and dipping with such ferocity that it was never going to be stopped by Hugo Lloris even from 25 yards out.

Yet United’s 4-2-4 formation, with Pogba functioning as Ronaldo’s partner has always seemed audacious against Antonio Conte’s wing back, which creates a four-man midfield. As it turned out.

Initially, United were plagued by Sergio Reguilon and Heung-Min Son wreaking havoc down the left flank. And Diogo Dalot cleared Dier’s header off the line. Finally, it was the right side that proved to be United’s undoing. Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski racing through a poor challenge from Jadon Sancho and into the box, his cross deflecting off Alex Telles’ outstretched palm.

Regardless of how vehemently he protested, it was always a penalty. Harry Kane stepped up and unleashed a strike into the bottom left-hand corner that evaded even David De Gea’s best dive.

Three minutes later, Nemanja Matic sent a pass into the box for Sancho to sprint onto. Regulion kept a step behind his teammates, effectively keeping everyone onside, and Sancho only needed to square for Ronaldo to restore United’s lead.

That could not last, and certainly, when Kulusevski dragged the ball back for Son on 61 minutes, the Korean should have equalized. They did so on 72 minutes, when Kane held the ball up and Son and Cristian Romero played it through to Reguilon, whose drive into the area and cross scared Harry Maguire, prompting him to throw out a leg and divert the ball past his own keeper.

Having said that, a winner beckoned. Neither team exuded defensive fortitude. And Ronaldo was constantly putting Lloris to the test from range. However, the deciding goal came from Telles’ corner, where Tottenham made the unusual step of not marking one of the game’s finest players and allowing him a free header.

He met it brilliantly, stretching his neck muscles and driving his forehead forward to direct the ball beyond Lloris. Maguire was one of the first on the scene, relieved to worship thankfully at CR7’s throne, as he conducted his characteristic celebration. It was almost as though the world was at peace and the dressing room was united.