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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made the bold prediction that Cristiano Ronaldo can match his goal tally from last season following the Red Devils' 3-0 win against Sheriff on Thursday (27 October).
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner got on the scoresheet as Ten Hag's side clinched a 3-0 victory at the expense of the Moldovan side. Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford gave Manchester United a two-goal lead before Ronaldo put the game beyond doubt in the 81st minute.
Following the game, Ten Hag claimed that the Portuguese superstar could match his goal tally from last season if he continues to get in the right positions and convert his chances.
Ten Hag said, as quoted by The Guardian:
"I think when you collect all the chances he creates, the team creates for him in the last weeks, you see he’s still capable of getting in the right positions and he’s still capable of finishing them. I think it’s possible, yeah"
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 24 goals across all competitions last season in 38 games but has scored just thrice so far this campaign. The Portuguese international has been in the news for the wrong reasons over the last week.
The former Real Madrid star refused to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham Hotspur on 19 October and stormed down the tunnel before the final whistle. As a result, he was axed from the matchday squad against Chelsea last weekend as Manchester United drew 1-1 with the Blues.
The forward came back to the squad against Sheriff and played the full 90 minutes. As per Manchester Evening News, the superstar had crunch talks with Ten Hag earlier this week and accepted he was wrong to leave the stadium early against Tottenham.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be keen to maintain his place in the Manchester United starting XI
Ronaldo is having the worst season of his career this term but he can still turn things around. The Portuguese international has started just two Premier League games for Manchester United this campaign.
While the Portuguese has started all five of the Red Devils' Europa League games, he will be desperate to break into the starting XI for the side's league fixtures. Given the fact that Ronaldo did not have a pre-season, he has taken time to build his match fitness and adapt to Ten Hag's system.
