Alejandro Garnacho equals Cristiano Ronaldo achievement at Manchester United after goal in FA Cup final vs Manchester City
Alejandro Garnacho equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's achievement at Manchester United scoring in the FA Cup final against Manchester City on May 25 at Wembley Stadium. The Red Devils managed a 2-0 lead by the end of half-time, with the Argentine and Kobbie Mainoo scoring.
Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring for United in the 30th minute. Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo then doubled the score just nine minutes later with an excellent assist by captain Bruno Fernandes.
With his goal, Garnacho became the first teenager to score in an FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo netted a goal for Manchester United against Millwall in 2004. The 2004 final ended with the Red Devils winning 3-0 and claiming their 11th FA Cup title.
Alejandro Garncho started his senior career at Old Trafford in 2022. He has netted nine goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances across all competitions this season.
The 19-year-old winger has openly expressed his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and mentioned the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to be his idol. He has also imitated the Portuguese star's iconic celebrations after scoring.
Alejandro Garncho has won the 2022–23 EFL Cup with the Red Devils and was also named the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year in 2021–22.
Former Manchester United star claimed Alejandro Garnacho's style is not similar to Cristiano Ronaldo
Although Alejandro Garnacho has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by fans and pundits, former Manchester United icon Nani believes the youngster plays more like him.
Nani heaped praise on the youngster, saying (via The Mirror):
"When I watch Garnacho, he reminds me of myself. He even has the No. 17 shirt – the same number I wore. When he changed to that number this season, he started scoring some goals, so that's been good for him."
Nani added:
"He's not afraid of taking defenders on, making the runs, making assists. He's a very good player, he has so much time to improve his game and get stronger. He will be fantastic in the future. His game is more similar to mine when I was at United than Cristiano's. He's a very exciting player and I hope in the future, he can win titles with the club and help it to be successful again."
Nani played for Manchester United from 2007 to 2015 and won one four Premier League titles and the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League.