“This is what we hope to see” – Ralf Rangnick opens up on what Manchester United expect from Cristiano Ronaldo against Atletico Madrid
Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has opened up about what he expects from his star forward Cristiano Ronaldo against Atletico Madrid. The Red Devils will host Atletico at Old Trafford on Tuesday night in the second leg of the Champions League tie following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Rangnick's side were far from their best at Wanda Metropolitano last month. However, they still managed to salvage a draw thanks to a late equalizer from youngster Anthony Elanga.
In his pre-game press conference ahead of the Atletico Madrid game, Manchester United interim boss Ralf Rangnick claimed that he is not worried about Cristiano Ronaldo's recovery. The German manager insisted that the 37-year-old knows how to take care of himself and also knows what is expected from him.
The 63-year-old said, as quoted by the Manchester Evening News:
"I'm not worried that he's not been able to recover, he's always been a person that looks after himself and his body, He knows what to do. If he can score another three goals, we will see. It's not easy to score three goals against this team at all. His overall performance [against Tottenham] was good, if not very good, and this is what we hope to see from him again tomorrow night."
The Manchester United manager also claimed that it is not just about Cristiano Ronaldo but about the whole team. He added:
"It's not just about Cristiano, it's about the whole team. We saw in the first half in Madrid, what we shouldn't do, how we shouldn't play and this was a big topic for us yesterday and today, pre-match before tomorrow's game. We have to know what it takes and tactically takes and the rest is about energy."
Astonishing number 🤯
@Cristiano = 🐐 https://t.co/33adYmEgZc
The 37-year-old came up with a performance to remember on Saturday in a 3-2 win against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Portuguese superstar scored the 59th hat-trick of his career to secure three points for his side. He also became the all-time top scorer in the history of the game with 807 goals, surpassing Josef Bican.
Can Cristiano Ronaldo inspire Manchester United to a victory against Atletico Madrid?
Cristiano Ronaldo has been decisive for Manchester United this season, especially in the Champions League.
Even in Ronaldo’s worst ever season, he’s managed to deliver these moments. https://t.co/rk5KOEu92C
The 37-year-old has six goals in as many games in this edition of the competition. The Red Devils might not have progressed this far in the UCL without Ronaldo's goals.
After an extraordinary game last weekend, the Portuguese superstar will be keen to impress once again and help Manchester United make it to the quarter-finals.