Sheriff vs. Manchester United score: Cristiano Ronaldo hits 699th goal as Erik ten Hag’s men get UEL win
Sheriff vs. Manchester United score: Cristiano Ronaldo hits 699th goal as Erik ten Hag’s men get UEL win: Manchester United won their first Europa League game of the season on Thursday, 2-0 over Sheriff in Moldova.
Despite losing their first game at home to Real Sociedad, Erik ten Hag’s squad breezed past an Eastern European side that had surprised Real Madrid in the Champions League the previous season.
To stem any early Sheriff pressure, Jadon Sancho scored in the 17th minute, connecting with Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen before rifling a shot into the bottom corner. As a result, United tightened the screws, and by halftime, Patrick Kpozo had brought down Diogo Dalot inexplicably.
After being put in a penalty situation, Cristiano Ronaldo calmly converted for his first goal in the Europa League. United didn’t want anything more from him or anyone else in a relaxed second half as the Red Devils cruised to victory in their final game before the international break.
What You Need to Know:
Sancho makes his case to Southgate
In light of England’s depth at attacking positions, several players may have been disappointed not to have been included in Gareth Southgate’s plans.
After getting off to a much stronger start in his second season with Manchester United than his first, Sancho was undeniably one of them. Even in Chisinau, the trend continued with a coolly scored goal in the 17th minute as Sheriff pressure mounted on the away goal.
This season, Eriksen has been a key cog in United’s attack, and he was doing so again.
The Dane’s pinpoint pass found Sancho inside the penalty box, and after three short steps, the youngster was driving low past Maxym Koval. Before the half ended, he almost scored again when Antony found him unmarked at the back post, living up to the expectations of a free agent signing.
Stjepan Radeljic produced a remarkable recovery to clear the ball off the line after the Sheriff’s goalie was again beaten.
Sancho finally appears to have found a consistent starting role after a season in which that role shifted as frequently as the manager in the Old Trafford dugout.
Since Antony’s arrival, he has had a guaranteed starting position, barring a massive slump in form.
He will continue to play on the left flank for United.
It’s debatable whether his best play came on the left or right flank for Borussia Dortmund (he was excellent on both sides), but playing consistently in one position is better for him than bouncing about from center-forward one week to right-wing the next.
Although Sancho did not have his finest game in a United shirt recently, he has improved under Ten Hag’s tutelage. He is now a more reliable and consistent contributor to the team’s success.
He has scored three goals in the last six games, and all but one of them have originated on the left wing. With only a few weeks left, Sancho needs to impress Southgate with his play if he wants to make the trip to Qatar.
Sheriff show they belong on European stage
While it wasn’t quite as dramatic as last year’s final at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Moldovan champions nonetheless cemented their place among Europe’s elite.
It would have been challenging enough for the squad from the previous year to merely replicate the same methods that allowed them to shock so many people in the European arena.
But this was not even that version of Sheriff. Players like Cristiano, Adama Traore, and game-winner Sebastien Thill, who all started in the 2-1 triumph against Real Madrid, have all left the club in light of their impressive Champions League play.
However, Sheriff, backed by the firm of a dominant former KGB operative, has replaced those names with a much more talented roster.
Iyayi Atiemwen, who scored in the 3-0 win at Omonia on Matchday 1, showed no fear of taking shots from the forward position, and Cedric Badolo and Mouhamed Diop looked strong in control in the engine room.
The captain, Radeljic, stood out as a star player, as he was frequently ready to deflect a United pass to safety as Ronaldo hovered over his shoulder.
Although this international group likely won’t stick together for very long, they still have until November to try to make the Europa Conference League playoffs and guarantee themselves a spot in the upcoming season.
In fact, they might be able to do some damage to Real Sociedad in the next games if they can just find the killer pass that escaped them in this one.
Yet more history looms for Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the Manchester United starting lineup for the first time since last month’s 4-0 loss to Brentford, but he did not contribute much to the team’s performance.
Ten Hag may need to take apart a blueprint that has seemingly progressed past the Portuguese forward. It became increasingly common for the 37-year-old veteran to venture deeper and deeper into opposition territory in quest of the ball, eventually registering considerably more touches in Dalot’s area of the pitch than when he was playing as a central striker.
If he were to bring any kind of defense with him, that would be fine, but the Sheriff back four appeared content to let him go, and with good reason.
The one time he went deep behind the Sheriff’s defense, he blazed high and wide. Radeljic may have had a touch from behind to throw him off, but it was barely enough.
Yet Ronaldo scored the game-winning goal from the penalty spot, continuing his impressive scoring streak for United. He now has 699 goals for his club career.
Thus, United’s upcoming game against City is a must-win. Indeed, he’s not as good at football as he once was, but his storytelling skills are still top-notch. If you had to wager, who would you back at the Etihad Stadium against him the next month?
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