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Manchester United hosted Villarreal at Old Trafford on Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League group stage. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side were looking for revenge for their loss in the finals of the Europa League last season.
Manchester United went into the fixture having lost three of their last five games across all competitions, including a 2-1 loss against Swiss side Young Boys on Matchday 1 of the UEFA Champions League.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put out his strongest side possible. With Aaron Wan-Bissaka suspended and injuries to Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, there were starts for Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and Alex Telles in defense. Paul Pogba partnered Scott McTominay in midfield, with Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwoon behind Cristiano Ronaldo.
Surprisingly, Villarreal looked the more threatening side in the first half, with Arnaut Danjuma getting a lot of joy down the left flank. The winger had numerous chances to open the scoring, however, David de Gea made sure the scores stayed level. Manchester United were being run ragged by the pace and movement of Villarreal's front three, as Yeremi Pino and Paco Alcacer caused havoc in their defense.
Alcacer should've had a brace in the first-half, however, he saw his header saved spectacularly by De Gea before seeing another effort go just wide of the post. Those misses would come back to bite Villarreal later in the game. The two teams would go in level at half-time with David de Gea being the only reason why Manchester United weren't behind by two or three goals.
The second-half started much the same, with Villarreal looking the more threatening side. All the pressure would finally pay off for Unai Emery's side, as Danjuma easily skinned Dalot on the flank before setting up Alcacer for a tap-in in the 53rd minute.
However, Manchester United would level the scores less than ten minutes later. Bruno Fernandes floated his free-kick to the edge of the box and Alex Telles rifled a spectacular volley into the far corner to make it 1-1 against the run of play. This was the Brazilian's first goal for the club.
With Manchester United now in the ascendancy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer brought on Edinson Cavani and put Cristiano Ronaldo out on the left wing. The Portuguese forward barely had any influence on the game up to this point, however, that would soon change.
During the dying embers of the game, Fred floated a cross into the box which Cristiano Ronaldo cushioned down to Jesse Lingard. The Englishman laid it back for the forward who squeezed it into the back of the net despite Rulli getting a touch on it.
Cristiano Ronaldo wheeled off in celebration, with Sir Alex Ferguson watching from the stands as the Portuguese superstar won the game for Manchester United in the 95th minute. The Red Devils are now third in Group F, tied on points with Young Boys.
Despite a rather underwhelming performance, there were still a few players who stood out for Manchester United on the night. So without further ado, here are
Manchester United's 5 best players against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo had a terrible game for Manchester United but still ended up scoring the winner. The Portuguese superstar just could not get into the game and was often left frustrated by the likes of Raul Albiol and Pau Torres.
Cristiano Ronaldo started the game as a striker but had to fight for scraps for most of the game as Villarreal dominated possession. Once Edinson Cavani was brought on, the 36-year old was asked to play on the left flank, where he had no real impact on the proceedings.
However, cometh the moment, cometh the man. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up when his team needed him the most and fired in the winner in the 95th minute to secure all three points for the Red Devils.
#4 Alex Telles
Another underwhelming performer, Alex Telles, probably would not have been on this list if not for his incredible goal to level the scores.
The Brazilian had a torrid time marking Yeremi Pino and was not very effective going forward. However, Telles scored a spectacular volley to drag Manchester United back into the game.
Without his goal today, Manchester United might have lost the game, and the quality of the goal itself secures Telles a spot on this list.
#3 Jesse Lingard
Super sub Jesse Lingard is making a habit of having a huge impact (sometimes negative) on Manchester United games whenever he's brought on. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks like he's content with the Englishman being his go-to player off the bench, and the midfielder is shining in this role.
Lingard was brought on in the 88th minute of the game and completely changed the momentum of play. The Englishman was immediately in the thick of things as he saw his shot saved at the near post. His pace and movement completely overwhelmed Villarreal's defense.
Lingard then provided a brilliant assist as he deftly cushioned back Cristiano Ronaldo's header for the forward to score the winner. His performance is sure to cause Solskjaer a few selection headaches in the future.
#2 Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes was Manchester United's biggest attacking threat on the night. The midfielder had been scrutinized all week for his penalty miss against Aston Villa, but hit back at his critics with a strong performance against Villarreal.
Fernandes was at the heart of every Manchester United attack, constantly trying to find his teammates in and around the box. The midfielder created four chances on the night, the most by any player on the pitch. He was also not afraid to shoot from distance, going close in the second half with a rasping shot.
The midfielder assisted Alex Telles' wonderful goal as he drifted a free-kick to the edge of the area for the Brazilian to volley in. Fernandes should have some of his confidence returned after this display.
#1 David de Gea
Manchester United's savior on the night, David De Gea, rolled back the years with his performance against Villarreal. If not for the Spaniard, Manchester United could have truly been humiliated in the game.
The Spaniard denied Danjuma, Yeremi and Alcacer certain goals in the first half with some wonderful saves. He also bailed out his defense on multiple occasions with his reflexes and handling.
In the second half, De Gea produced a spectacular double save from Boulaye Dia to keep Manchester United in the game.
The Spaniard has had his doubters over the last few years, but this performance should be enough to silence his critics for the time being at least.
