CR7 FIVE GREATEST MOMENTS AT MAN UNITED | CRISTIANO RONALDO | With Eisha Acton
Cristiano Ronaldo. One of the best players the game has ever seen. 5 time Ballon d’Or winner, 4 time Champions League winner and 7 time Champions League top scorer. Oh, and he’s also the top goal scorer in football history. He’s truly a legend of the game and he’s played for some legendary clubs. He’s made the extravagant return back to Manchester United, this morning he completed his medical ahead of his move there.Today I’ll be taking a trip down memory lane to look at his 5 most iconic moments from his first time round at Manchester United (in no particular order). This series is brought to you by Kitbag — do check out their new season kits in the link below — remember to use the discount code I’ve also provided below:
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1 . Free kick V Portsmouth 07/08 -
Portsmouth travelled to Old Trafford to face Man United on the 30th of January 2008 they were under the management of Harry Redknapp and Pompey were unable to deal with an inspired Ronaldo that day. He scored the first goal just ten minutes in, standard for Ronaldo. 3 minutes later came one of the most iconic free kicks of all time. Man United get a foul around 30 yards out from the goal and Ronaldo is eyeing up an opportunity. Ronaldo runs up and strikes the ball perfectly, with just the right amount of dip and it rockets into the top right corner of the net. The keeper was rooted to the spot and this wasn’t some average keeper. The man on goal was David James, the England no.1 at the time and even he couldn’t do anything to stop it. A truly iconic free kick and one to watch back again and again.
2. Puskas winner V Porto 08/09 -
The Champions League. Ronaldo’s favourite stage and the one he always turns up in. Once again, he did so for Man United in a quarter-final tie against Porto. It was the second leg at the Estadio Do Dragao; Porto’s home ground and Man United went there after playing out a 2–2 draw at Old Trafford earlier on. United started off the second leg very well with them needing at least one goal to qualify and that’s exactly what they got. Ronaldo picked up the ball near the centre circle, takes a touch to get out of his feet and just unleashes a fierce strike which flies into the top left corner. That was the only goal of the game and was enough for them to qualify for the semi-final where they faced fellow league rivals, Arsenal. That goal also helped Ronaldo win the Puskas award which is another one of his many personal accolades.
3. Free kick V Arsenal (UEFA Champions League semi-final) 08/09 -
In the same season as the Puskas winner against Porto, Ronaldo also scored an outrageous free kick versus Arsenal in the second leg of the semi-final. United only had a slender 1 goal lead against Arsenal from the first leg after being all over them. They started the second leg very well after Park Ji-Sung capitalised on an error early on and that meant a mountain to climb for Arsenal. Ronaldo then wins a free kick around 40 yards out, closer to the touchline rather than the centre. He knew he was shooting as he ran up to it. A deep exhale followed by the run up and then the strike. The ball was hit with so much accuracy, venom and power.. it was very hard to stop and Almunia couldn’t do much about it. That free kick pretty much sealed the tie and meant that United went to their second consecutive Champions League final where they lost to Barcelona 2–0 but Ronaldo did finish as the top scorer of that season.
4. *THAT* 2007/08 season from Ronaldo -
This 07/08 season for Ronaldo was one of the best seasons by a player EVER in the history of the Premier League. His individual awards are some that have never been achieved and may never be achieved by another Premier League player. European Golden Boot, Premier League Golden Boot, Champions League top scorer, Premier League Best Player, FIFA World Player and the Ballon D’or winner. Those are just his individual feats. He also achieved a double with United, winning the Champions League and Premier League while also collecting the Club World Cup and the Community Shield in the process. A truly remarkable season by a remarkable player. He also attained some crazy numbers, 31 goals and 7 assists in 34 games in the league while he got 8 goals and a single assist in 11 games in the Champions League. He was the last player in the Premier League to win the Ballon D’or and the last United player since George Best in 1968. Ronaldo shattered countless records this season and this is regarded as one of the best seasons of his illustrious career so that HAS to be included in this list.
5. Goal against Chelsea (UEFA Champions League Final) 07/08 -
The final iconic moment comes from his most iconic season, the season we just spoke about. United faced Chelsea in the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, the capital of Russia. It was a rainy night in the Moscow and as expected — a very tense affair. Ronaldo opened the scoring with his trademark goal, a header in the box leaping highest to win the header and place it into the corner. Lampard capitalised on a slip from Van Der Sar and equalised shortly before half time. Both teams had chances but no team could finish them. Drogba was then sent off as the game went to penalties. Ronaldo unfortunately missed his penalty in the shootout but thanks to a John Terry slip and then the miss from Nicolas Anelka, United triumphed in the end and Ronaldo broke down into tears as he won his first ever Champions League. His header meant that United took the lead and stayed in the game and although he missed his penalty, he played a huge part in Man United’s journey to that final. Ronaldo’s contributions will always be remembered in that successful run.
Those are just some of Ronaldo’s greatest moments playing in a Man United shirt and I’m sure he’ll have many more in his second stint with the Red Devils this season and next season. Have I missed any iconic moments? Do omment them below. How do you feel about Ronaldo’s return to the Premier League? I want hear from you as always. Keep the comments coming. I hope you enjoyed reading — do follow me for my Premier League content. Remember this series is brought to you by Kitbag — do check out their new season kits in the link below — remember to use the discount code I’ve also provided below:
⚽️👉SHOP: https://kitbag.evyy.net/0JJeaP
Code: BAG25
[for 25% off]