How Cristiano Ronaldo broke clear of Lionel Messi with latest Champions League goal
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo continued to etch his name into the history books of European football on Wednesday, after finding the net versus Villarreal.
CR7 makes the difference
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were of course back in action a little less than 24 hours ago.
The Red Devils welcomed La Liga outfit Villarreal to Old Trafford, after missing out on Europa League glory at the hands of Unai Emery and co. just last season.
And, when all was said and done in Manchester, secure revenge, and keep their Champions League Last-16 hopes alive in the process, is precisely what United managed.
After going a goal down early in the 2nd-half when Paco Alcacer slotted home from close range, the hosts levelled things up courtesy of an Alex Telles stunner on the hour mark:
What a time to score your first Man Utd goal!
Alex Telles with a clean strike on the volley 💥#UCL pic.twitter.com/HI6ouM0NYi
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 29, 2021
Then, as if written in the stars, a last-gasp winner was provided by none other than Mr. Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo.
After latching onto substitute Jesse Lingard’s clever layoff, the Portuguese veteran made no mistake in slotting beyond Geronimo Rulli, sparking raucous celebrations around Old Trafford in the process:
CRISTIANO RONALDO WINS IT LATE FOR MAN UTD!
Listen to that Old Trafford roar 😍
Big players deliver in big moments.#UCL pic.twitter.com/7rcbEJzUQt
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 29, 2021
Messi tie broken
As outlined above, though, Ronaldo’s latest strike did not only prove significant in guiding United to a much-needed first three-point haul of the European campaign.
In addition, it also saw the ex-Real Madrid man break clear of long-time rival Lionel Messi in the history books of the Champions League.
As revealed by ESPN, Ronaldo has now scored against 37 clubs in Europe’s elite club competition, one more than previous record-holder Messi:
Cristiano Ronaldo broke Lionel Messi’s record for most teams scored against in Champions League history 👀 pic.twitter.com/TYBvKnx6Sv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 30, 2021
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