31.07.2022 » Ronaldo makes his first appearance of the season for United
Manchester United played their first pre-season game at Old Trafford this season against Rayo Vallecano, but the headlines were all about Cristiano Ronaldo and his first appearance for the Red Devils following the dozens of rumors about a potential move to a different club. The Portuguese forward lined up in Erik ten Hag's starting eleven, but as expected, he was spared from playing any minute in the second half. United ended up drawing 1-1 against Rayo, thanks to a goal from the 20-year Amad Diallo, precisely the player who came in to replace Cristiano Ronaldo during the half-time break. For those who usually struggle when picking the right team to win, you can simply visit PicksforTonight and experience the difference. Just a week away from their Premier League's debut, Man United still need to make several adjustments before they kickoff their campaign in the league.
Ronaldo - His first minutes with United in 2022-23:
A promising start against Liverpool...
This hasn't been the most exciting pre-season campaign United has had in recent years, as the Red Devils only managed to win 3 of their 6 friendlies played since July 12. Nevertheless, the first game was probably the most positive one for Erik ten Hag's men, as they managed to humble their rivals Liverpool, with a 4-0 beating in Thailand.
The second test took place just a few days later, against Melbourne Victory. Once again, United linked up well in the attacking front and beat their opponents with a 4-1 scoreline. The third game of the pre-season was against Crystal Palace and Man United were determined in not disappointing their fans just yet... The Red Devils collected their third consecutive win of the pre-season, beating the London side by 3-1 thanks to goals from Martial, Rashford and Sancho. At this point, Ronaldo was still not training with the team, as he kept getting linked with moves to different clubs almost on a daily basis. Whether he stays at Manchester or decides to leave for another challenge, betting fans can take advantage of sportsbook promos and keep placing their bets on Ronaldo scoring for his future club.
On July 23, Man United were set to face another Premier League side, this time being Aston Villa. Unlike we had seen in the previous friendlies, the Red Devils started showing more signs of fatigueness and they would give away a 2-goal lead near the end of the game, allowing the "Villans" to capture a 2-2 draw. This was also the last game United played outside Europe, as their remaining games were scheduled for Oslo and Manchester.
Ronaldo finally made its return...
The first loss of the pre-season came at the hands of Atletico Madrid, as the two teams met in Oslo, on July 30. Ronaldo was already training in Manchester at this time, but he still wasn't given any minutes by the new manager. The Colchoneros grabbed a 1-0 win thanks to a late goal from João Félix, but United managed to control most of the game and actually create the best scoring chances. However and against Diego Simeone's side, we all know how little that means when it comes to decide the winner.
The day right after the friendly against Atletico was booked for United's home presentation, in a match against Rayo Vallecano. This time, Erik ten Hag's counted with Ronaldo in his starting eleven and the fans didn't hide their enthusiasm to see the Portuguese superstar returning to Old Trafford. The 37-year old forward was the first player to step onto the pitch and the atmosphere between himself and the fans was great.
The game itself didn't go the way United fans expected though, but taking into consideration the fact that the club had played against Atletico roughly 24 hours ago, no one could realistically demand much more from Erik ten Hag's side. Ronaldo still managed to get himself in a good position to score during the 45 minutes he was on the pitch, but his left shot went away from target and the goalless draw would be the scoreline at half-time. In the second half, Amad Diallo scored for the Red Devils, but an equalizer from Álvaro Garcia in the 57th minute saw everything going back to square one, as no more goals were to be scored in this game.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Manchester United is on August 7, against Brighton. You can watch Manchester United vs Brighton, Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt, Juventus vs Atletico Madrid, Fulham vs Liverpool, Crystal Palace vs Arsenal, and Eintracht vs Bayern Munich, all matches provided from our live football game pages.
Manchester United next game:
Manchester United vs Brighton kick-off time (07-08-2022):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 21:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 20:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 18:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 15:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 15:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 14:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 10:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 09:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 06:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / bbc.com / besoccer.com
