Manchester United vs Atalanta LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
Follow live updates from Old Trafford as Cristiano Ronaldo and co. look to bounce back from defeat at Leicester last weekend
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will doubtless Manchester United’s comeback down to the spirit and soul of the club, and it is true to say that this 3-2 win over Atalanta again showed that this team are at the very least playing for their manager. Cristiano Ronaldo offered yet another late match-winning moment, on another raucous European night.
It was just that this victory was as much down to the willingness of a depleted Atalanta side to persevere with their approach to the point that risk became recklessness. Gian Piero Gasperini’s one-on-one approach gave United countless opportunities, that they were eventually going to take up.
Another truth is that, as bad as this game was at half-time, United probably should have won about 8-2 rather than 3-2 by virtue of the chances created. They missed so many.
Or perhaps that should be 8-3, since David De Gea made yet another crucial and brilliant save from Duvan Zapata with the score at 2-2.
It felt so significant in the very moment of the stop, especially since it had such echoes of what happened against Villarreal - right down to what eventually happened. But that is why, even allowing for the fact United are now top of the group and surely en route for the last 16, it feels wrong to talk about this as any kind of turning point.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
73 mins: Jadon Sancho replaces Mason Greenwood. If ever there was a time for him to score his first goal for United it’s now.
Manchester United win a corner that Bruno Fernandes swings into the box. Harry Maguire jumps high and wins the header but his effort is too close to Juan Musso who smothers it down to his left.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
71 mins: Outstanding from David De Gea! Lindelof is shoved off the ball as it comes up to Duvan Zapata. He takes it into the box and blasts one with his left foot drawing a sharp save out of De Gea. The rebound comes out to Malinovskyi who sends it back towards goal but De Gea is up quickly and pushes the second attempt over the bar!
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
69 mins: Cavani has taken Rashford’s position on the left wing with Pogba slotting in alongside Fred. Fred wins the ball in the middle of the pitch and gives it to Greenwood he immediately knocks it into the box for Ronaldo but the striker can’t beat Musso to the loose ball.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
66 mins: Changes from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay are off with Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba brought on.
Pogba gets stuck in straight away driving the ball up the midfield before slotting it to Cavani. He’s forced wide and Manchester United have to retreat.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
64 mins: Save! Fernandes slips a short pass into the left side of the box where Ronaldo sprints away from Lovato and gets to the ball. He hits a low shot back across the box only for Musso to dive across and palm it away with his left hand! What a huge save that could turn out to be.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
61 mins: Luis Muriel has been taken off and replaced with Duvan Zapata for Atalanta. No sign of any changes yet from Ole Gunner Solskjaer although Edinson Cavani has been warming up on the sidelines.
The visitors get a period on the ball and try to keep possession. They’re under the pump a bit and just need to temper United’s momentum.
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
58 mins: Pasalic and De Roon both give away fouls as Man Utd surge forward and both join Lovato in the book. Shaw swings a free kick into the box and Maguire attacks it. He doesn’t get the best connection on the header though and Atalanta clear their lines.
They keep the pressure up though as Greenwood weaves his way into the right side of the box. His cross comes into the six-yard area where McTominay arrives and his volleyed effort hits the post!
Manchester United were inches away from an equaliser!
Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta
55 mins: Atalanta are scrambling now. A ball over the top sees Ronaldo and Lovato going for the same aerial ball. The Atalantan defender bundles straight into the United striker and gives away a free kick over to the right side of the box.
Lovato is shown a yellow card and Ronaldo’s free kick goes wide of the back post.
GOAL! Man Utd 1 - 2 Atalanta (Rashford, 53’)⚽️
53 mins: United are back in it! This is a fantastic goal from Man Utd. The ball comes to Fernandes who flicks it behind the Atalanta backline with the outside of his right foot. Rashford bursts into action with a run into the box. He rolls the ball onto his right foot and guides it perfectly past Musso to send the ball into the far bottom corner. Lovely finish.
Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta
51 mins: Wan-Bissaka tries to get around Maehle and wins a corner for United. The set piece is whipped into the box but gets cleared out to Rashford. He brings it down outside the area and shoots on the half-volley but pulls his effort wide of the near post. You get the sense that if Manchester United can score, they’ll definitely get another one.
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