Ronaldo Scores Another Late Champions League Winner in Man United Comeback

With his 81st-minute goal, Cristiano Ronaldo capped off Manchester United's comeback from down 2–0 against Atalanta in the Champions League.

On the Champions League stage, Cristiano Ronaldo is as sure a bet as they come. On Wednesday against Atalanta, the Portuguese star proved that point once again with his second consecutive Champions League match-winner in the final minutes to cap a 3–2 victory. 

With the match tied at 2-2 after a vigorous second-half comeback by Manchester United, Ronaldo seized the spotlight in the 81st minute with his towering header that captivated Old Trafford once again. 

Cristiano Ronaldo does it AGAIN! Man United has the lead #UCL

(via @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/UPh7DMQop7

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) October 20, 2021

Following a 4–2 loss to Leicester City at the weekend, Manchester United's struggles seemed to only continue with a 2–0 deficit at halftime against Atalanta. 

But Marcus Rashford's goal in the 53rd minute gave the club life, and Harry Maguire's equalizer off a corner in the 75th set the stage before Luke Shaw sent in the curling cross that found Ronaldo somehow unmarked in the middle of the box.

In his 300th career appearance for the club, Ronaldo scored his sixth goal in seven games this season and his 137th career goal in Champions League, the most by a player in the competition's history. 

The prolific forward has made a habit of his late match-winners this year. In the club's second group stage game against Villarreal, the Red Devils overcame a 1–0 home deficit to score two second-half goals for the three points, thanks to Ronaldo's dramatic 95th-minute winner. 

The win puts Manchester United atop its Champions League group on six points despite the dramatic last-second loss to Young Boys in the opening group stage game. Moreover, it takes some pressure off United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who entered the game on the hot seat having won only two of the last seven.