Cristiano Ronaldo on Thursday scored for the first time this season as Manchester United got their UEFA Europa League campaign back on track with a 2-0 win at Sheriff.
Ronaldo had gone seven games without a goal this season before the United striker converted a first-half penalty against the Moldovan champions.
It was the 37-year-old’s 699th club goal, but Ronaldo’s low-key celebration was in keeping with the comfortable nature of United’s third successive away victory.
Photo: Reuters
It was the kind of unglamorous fixture Ronaldo seemed desperate to avoid when he launched his unsuccessful bid to quit Old Trafford for a UEFA Champions League club in the summer, but the Portugal star will be relieved to have got on the score sheet, after Jadon Sancho put United ahead with a well-timed response on the day he was left out of the England squad.
Ronaldo missed United’s pre-season tour for “family reasons,” and while United manager Erik ten Hag was pleased with his contribution against Sheriff, he said the forward needs more work to reach peak fitness.
“We could expect this when you miss pre-season, so he has to work really hard and invest to get the right fitness, then he will score more goals,” Ten Hag said. “You can see he is really close and when he gets fitter he will finish them. I think he is totally committed to this project and to this team.”
“He needed that goal. He was close many times. You see connections coming around him,” he said. “We’re happy for him and the team wanted him to bring the goal, so that’s good.”
United lost their opening Group E match 1-0 against Real Sociedad. That gave Ten Hag’s men no margin for error in Chisinau and they were up to the task against a Sheriff side who beat Real Madrid in the Champions League group stage last season.
United’s first trip to the far-flung outpost of Moldova served as a painful reminder of their diminished status following last season’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, but, showing respect for Sheriff, Ten Hag named a strong side and Sancho, one of five changes, struck with United’s first meaningful attack in the 17th minute.
Taking Christian Eriksen’s pass in his stride, Sancho cleverly switched direction inside the Sheriff penalty area, giving himself room to plant a cool finish into the bottom corner.
Ronaldo doubled United’s lead in the 39th minute, easily stroking in his spot-kick after Diogo Dalot was brought down by Patrick Kpozo.
United remain three points behind group leaders Real Sociedad, who won 2-1 against Omonia.
Sociedad took the lead through Ander Guevara in the 30th minute and former Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth bagged the 80th-minute winner after Bruno equalized eight minutes earlier.
Andrea Belotti scored his first AS Roma goal to cap their 3-0 victory against 10-man HJK at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Jose Mourinho’s side suffered a shock 2-1 loss against Ludogorets in their Group C opener, but they were always in control after HJK captain Miro Tenho was sent off in the 15th minute for a professional foul on Belotti.
Paulo Dybala took just 69 seconds to break the deadlock after coming on at halftime as he fired home from the edge of the penalty area.
Lorenzo Pellegrini chested in the second goal after 49 minutes, with former Torino forward Belotti tapping home in the 68th minute.
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