Once again, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got totally outcoached, but Cristiano Ronaldo was there to bail him out. Ronaldo bagged a brace, giving United a 2-2 draw at Atalanta in Champions League group stage play.
United remain top of Group F, and their chances of going through to the knockout round are quite good. Ronaldo’s second scoring strike, which came in Fergie Time, lead Solskjaer to draw compare CR7 to Michael Jordan. Yes, it’s very high praise indeed.
"That must be a Michael Jordan moment, when he wins championships in extra-time!" ?
Ole Gunnar Solskjær compared that late CR7 goal to MJ! Adding that his side will be ready for the derby! ??
? @adriandelmonte #beINUCL #UCL
Watch Now ? https://t.co/hkoevnV6B4 pic.twitter.com/3kCpDcEUl2
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) November 2, 2021
“He is incredible and if there is anyone you want the ball to fall to in the last minute it is him,” Solskjaer said.
“He is the best goal scorer alive and it is hard for me to say that because he just went past me with these two goals, now he has one more goal for Manchester United than me. That last goal, that must be a Michael Jordan moment when he wins championships in extra time.”
It really says a lot about a soccer player when you compare him to a basketball player, at least on the dimension of scoring, because soccer is a sport where obviously, points are at a premium because there are so few that actually get scored.
Meanwhile in hoops, there are points being scored all the time. As for Ronaldo’s reaction, well he knew that his side were fortunate to take any points at all from this affair. said United were “lucky” to come away with a result. Once again, they really needed his Michael Jordan style heroics.
“It was a difficult game, I know when we play in Bergamo it is always difficult, but we believe until the end and I am so happy,” Ronaldo told BT Sport.
“We never give up, we believe until the end, it is a good result for us. We were a little bit lucky in the end but that is football.”
The draw helped Solskjaer keep his job, at least for another week, and we’ll see what happens in the Manchester Derby on Saturday. Lately, United have played this rivalry match much better than one would expect.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.