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

(Getty Images)

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.

Manchester United vs Atalanta

• 8pm kick-off
• Man Utd XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Ronaldo
• Atalanta XI: Musso; Zappacosta, Palomino, Demiral, Maehle; Freuler, De Roon, Pasalic; Ilicic, Koopmeiners; Muriel
• Pasalic puts Serie A side ahead from close range
• Demiral heads home second before the half-hour mark
• Rashford pulls one back for United early in second half
• Maguire volleys in equaliser with 15’ to play
• Cristiano Ronaldo thumps in header minutes later

[20 October 2021 21:07 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

48 mins: Save! Musso denies Ronaldo! United win the ball back high up the pitch and Fernandes slots it into the box for Cristiano Ronaldo. One touch puts the ball onto his right foot and the shot is blasted at Musso who blocks it with his chest. The rebound comes out to Rashford who fires a long-ranged effort wide of goal.

[20 October 2021 21:04 · Michael Jones]

Second half: Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

Kick off: Matteo Lovato comes on to replace Merih Demiral for Atalanta. What has Solskjaer said to his team during that break? Can he orchestrate a European comeback?

Atalanta get the second half underway.

[20 October 2021 20:58 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

Manchester United have failed to keep a clean sheet in 12 consecutive home games in all competitions, their longest such run since February 1964 when they went 13 games.

That’s a terribly worrying stat for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

[20 October 2021 20:54 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

Can Manchester United find a way back into this game?

[20 October 2021 20:53 · Michael Jones]

Atalanta lead at half-time

Manchester United trail by two goals at Old Trafford in a crucial Champions League game. They’ve been too easy to break down with Mario Pasalic and Merih Demiral getting the goals.

This is a big half-time team talk from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Manchester United need to get back into this game somehow.

(Getty Images)

(AFP via Getty Images)

[20 October 2021 20:49 · Michael Jones]

Half-time: Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

45+1 mins: Chance! It should be 2-2. Fred’s just missed a great chance and now Rashford hits the crossbar! Fernandes knocks the ball over the top and Demiral lets it bounce past away from him. Rashford nips into the box behind the defender, fires the ball over the goalkeeper and rattles the crossbar! He needs to score there. Atalanta lead by two goals at half-time.

[20 October 2021 20:46 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

45 mins: Chance! Huge chance for Fred as Fernandes plays him into the box. He checks to the right, shuffles away from the centre-back and attempts to curl his shot into the far bottom corner but fires it wide of the post. That was the moment for Man Utd.

One minute of added time to play.

[20 October 2021 20:44 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

44 mins: Josip Ilicic sends the ball into the middle of the final third where Muriel turns towards goal and hits one straight at David De Gea who makes the save.

Marcus Rashford is then played in behind the lines with a long ball and sprints into the box. He takes too long to get away a shot though and Demiral slides in to win the ball. Great defending, Demiral has been top class so far.

[20 October 2021 20:42 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

41 mins: Fernandes swings a cross into the box from the right but sends it straight to Musso. Freuler gives the ball away to Wan-Bissaka who slips it into the box for Rashford. He loads up a shot but Demiral tackles him and clears the ball.

[20 October 2021 20:40 · Michael Jones]

Man Utd 0 - 2 Atalanta

38 mins: Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba have both been sent out to warm up. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won’t make a change before half-time but he needs to do something.

Atalanta look comfortable with United passing the ball around their box. The home side have only drawn Musso into one difficult save so far.