Could it really be otherwise?
Aligned from the outset during the reception of Newcastle on behalf of the fourth day of the English Championship (4-1), Cristiano Ronaldo was quick to find the net, which he made tremble on several occasions between 2003 and 2009. Throughout the meeting, the Portuguese striker weighed with all his weight, or rather his aura, on the defense of the Magpies, which cracked in added time of the first half. time.
On an off-center strike on the right side of Mason Greenwood, goalkeeper Frederick Woodman fails to capture the ball, which he gently pushes back in front of his cage: a big mistake.
Nothing more was needed for the one who over the last twelve seasons has turned into a formidable fox of surfaces.
In the middle of an inattentive and probably impressed central hinge, CR7 remained very vigilant, faithful to his insatiable thirst for goals.
Without forcing and at close range, he appeared in front of his defender to push the ball behind the line and thus score his 119th goal in the Mancunian jersey.
What.
A. Moment.
pic.twitter.com/XObaGzcNUO
- Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 11, 2021
Unsurprisingly, Old Trafford immediately explodes on this opening scoring, until the spans of the stadium tremble. Ronaldo goes to the corner post to make his traditional celebration, resumed in chorus by the 76,000 spectators present, before being joined by his teammates. Under the eyes of his former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson and his former teammate Ryan Giggs, the darling of Mancunian supporters is entitled to a standing ovation which continues until the whistle of the referee.
Fifty minutes earlier, the entry of the players had already set the tone and testified to the historical and emotional charge of the moment.
At 3:55 p.m., the eleven holders exit in single file from the Old Trafford tunnel and enter the lawn.
Alongside the cadors Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire, mingle the summer recruits Raphaël Varane and Jadon Sancho.
As they parade, the clamors and applause of the 76,000 spectators present are louder until they soar into decibels at the entrance of the eleventh and last: Cristiano Ronaldo.
Just listen to that noise 😱🔊 # MUFC |
#MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/YETEMXexCs
- Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 11, 2021
On the return from the locker room, Newcastle nevertheless showed resilience and managed to equalize on a backlash concluded by Javier Manquillo with a beautiful cross strike in the small opposite net.
As if the story was not good enough like that, CR7 will offer itself a double five minutes later on a more constructed action.
As if to prove that the surface fox still has legs, Luke Shaw throws it into the depths.
A saving double
Ronaldo takes the ball to the left side and gets rid of his vis-à-vis at the same time before placing a powerful shot from the left that leaks between Woodman's legs. Old Trafford is thrilled and exults, like the mother of the principal concerned, totally overwhelmed by emotion. At the edge of the pitch, Solskjær made no secret of his enthusiasm for the return of his former team-mate to Manchester United: “I am very happy for Ronaldo, the team and the fans. Ronaldo senses things and he's ruthless in front of goal. He is clinical. Fans can dream, we'll keep our feet on the ground. "
To punctuate this beautiful sunny afternoon at the “Theater of Dreams”, Bruno Fernandes, Ronaldo's compatriot in the selection, catapults a floating striking power into the skylight of the Magpies. In the dying seconds, Jesse Lingard sealed the victory for the Red Devils after a beautiful three-way movement led with the French Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial.
Minutes after the final whistle, the five-time Ballon d'Or posted a message on his Instagram account: “My return to Old Trafford was just a reminder of why this stadium is known as the Theater of Dreams. For me, it has always been a magical place where you can accomplish whatever you want. After savoring every minute of this reunion with the Mancunian public, CR7 will be keen to deliver a similar performance on September 29 in United's first home game in the Champions League, its premier competition.