Cristiano Ronaldo has told his Manchester United teammates they “must adapt and improve” after he was yet again called to rescue the Red Devils with a vital brace to earn a 2-2 draw with Atalanta.
The Portuguese netted important equalisers in stoppage time of either half to ensure United’s Champions League destiny remains in their hands going into the final two games.
With the clock ticking in Tuesday night’s encounter, Ronaldo again produced at the vital moment to lift United from third in the group to top spot – which means they need a win in their next match to progress to the knockout stages.
A loss would have had them enter the next game week third in the group, knowing defeat by Villarreal could end their campaign before it has even got going.
𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝… and we will do everything to achieve our goals! We are RED DEVILS 💪🏽 #MUFC #championsleague pic.twitter.com/gqWduRwEjl
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) November 2, 2021
Ronaldo, however, spared United blushes by firing home a sumptuous strike to earn them a valuable point.
Speaking immediately after his heroics, the Portuguese forward sent a pointed message to the dressing room, letting them know they must be better in order to compete for honours.
“It was a difficult game. I know that when we play Atalanta it’s difficult and we believe until the end that I will help my team get the three points and I’m so happy. We never give up and believe until the end. It’s a good result for us, I think,” he told BT Sport.
“The beginning was tough, Atalanta have a fantastic coach and they know what to do. I knew when I played in Juventus. We did our job well. We are lucky I scored but that’s football.”
“We still have to improve. We have different players and different systems. We have to adapt but it will take time. We have time to improve,” he concluded.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s FULL post match interview:pic.twitter.com/jDo3pEs0xT
— The CR7 Timeline. (@TimelineCR7) November 3, 2021