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Premier League giants Manchester United secured a late 2-2 draw against Atalanta in the Champions League courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar scored in stoppage time in each half to ensure Manchester United walked away with a point in Bergamo.
The Red Devils, who started the night as leaders of Group F, retained their place at the summit due to Cristiano Ronaldo's heroics. The 36-year-old has now scored five goals in four Champions League outings this term, taking his overall tally to 139 in 180 appearances.
Gian Piero Gasperini's hosts enjoyed a rollicking start to the game when Josip Ilicic drew first blood as early as the 12th minute. Duvan Zapata pressed Manchester United high and cut the ball across the area for Ilicic, who fired a shot that went underneath David de Gea.
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Cristiano Ronaldo, along with a few other Manchester United players, complained about De Gea's view being blocked in the build-up to the goal. However, the referee and VAR decided the goal should stand to send the home crowd into a delirium of noise.
Despite going behind early, Manchester United restored parity right before half-time with a glorious team goal. After a quick move, Cristiano Ronaldo fired a shot into the back of the net as Bruno Fernandes clipped a back-heel pass into his path.
Following the restart, Zapata scored to give Atalanta the advantage again in the 56th minute. When it seemed like the Serie A club would walk away with maximum points, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to grab the headlines, yet again. The five-time Ballon d'Or forced the initiative in second-half stoppage-time and fired a volley from outside the box into the far bottom corner to salvage the draw.
Atalanta and Gasperini were left with a bad aftertaste once again as they failed to keep the lead. After what proved to be another defining performance from Cristiano Ronaldo for Manchester United in the Champions League, fans celebrated the genius on Twitter.
On that note, here are some of the best reactions from Twitter as the mercurial forward marked his return to Italy with an excellent brace:
