Cristiano Ronaldo Rescues Manchester United Again in Champions League Draw

Mr. Champions League was at it again for the Red Devils, scoring equalizers in stoppage time of each half to rescue a point.

Mr. Champions League keeps living up to the nickname.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a fourth straight game in the competition for Manchester United, tallying an important equalizer on two occasions in Tuesday's match at Atalanta, helping United salvage a 2–2 draw.

Ronaldo, whose stoppage-time winner capped United's furious comeback from two goals down on Matchday 3, burned Atalanta again to finish off a lovely sequence. Mason Greenwood played Bruno Fernandes through, and the Portuguese midfielder's back-heel touch set up Ronaldo for a clear, powerful finish from inside the box to make it 1–1.

<Scheduled tweet>

Cristiano Ronaldo scores yet again in the #UCL for Man United. A clutch equalizer in first-half stoppage time makes it 1-1

(via @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/DKkuPiur8P

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) November 2, 2021

The scoreboard reprieve was short-lived, though, as Duvan Zapata restored Atalanta's lead in the 56th minute, on a goal that was initially ruled offside but was given after VAR review.

Delayed gratification for Atalanta! Initially ruled offside, Duvan Zapata's goal stands after a VAR review, and Man United trails yet again #UCL

(via @TUDNUSA) pic.twitter.com/ZzlVlf3qAa

— SI Soccer (@si_soccer) November 2, 2021

But Ronaldo came to the rescue in second-half stoppage time as well, volleying home a low blast from 18 yards to secure the point.

Nah, nah, nah... ¡Esto ya es otra cosa! 😎

Nos quedamos sin palabras, cuando más se le necesita, cuando todo parece perdido. ¡EL BICHO! 🔥@Atalanta_BC 2-2 @ManUtd#TuChampions | #UCL | #Atlanta | #ManchesterUnited

🔴 ¡En vivo!
📺 TUDN y @unimas
📲👉 https://t.co/qiqZreKDfg pic.twitter.com/tpJuXnp3BS

— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) November 2, 2021

The goals were Ronaldo's all-time record 138th and 139th in Champions League play, and they came in his 180th appearance in the competition. He's 16 goals clear of Lionel Messi for the most in Champions League history. His five goals in the group stage trail Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski's eight, with the Polish star netting a hat trick vs. Benfica on Tuesday.

Man United heads into the penultimate matchday in the group tied with Villarreal on points but behind on goal differential (but holding the head-to-head tiebreaker), while Atalanta trails both by two points and Young Boys sits bottom of the quartet with three points.