Cristiano Ronaldo finally kick-started his season with Manchester United by scoring his first goal of the campaign in the 8th competitive game.
The Portuguese forward had quite the summer, in which he skipped his side’s pre-season tour of Asia and tried his best to orchestrate an exit from Old Trafford.
But after no major European side agreed to step up and sign him, Ronaldo was forced to stay at United.
Cristiano Ronaldo performs trademark siu celebration after scoring against Sheriff.
That also meant playing in the UEFA Europa League for the first time in his career.
The 37-year-old, however, seems to have accepted his fate.
He’s now intent on enjoying a successful season with Erik ten Hag’s side and is still trying to win over the new manager’s confidence after his antics in the summer.
Ronaldo scored his first goal, ironically in the Europa League, via a penalty against Sheriff.
He also looked quite proactive, often dropping into deeper areas to kick-start chances and helping open up opportunities for his teammates as well.
But one specific moment from the game has become viral due to some impressive work from a photographer.
The picture being hailed as ‘COLD’ by fans sees Ronaldo ready to move forward with the ball in his possession while a Sheriff player is lying next to him in apparent agony.
However, the real truth behind this viral picture has been revealed.
A video documenting the incident leading up to this moment has also become quite viral, as it shows that Ronaldo’s antics in the build-up were not exactly as ‘cold’ as fans think.
As Ronaldo tries to move the ball forward to a teammate, he sees it intercepted by the Sheriff player and ends up cheekily clipping his leg to stop him from getting the ball away.
He then tries to run away forward with the ball, before the referee stops play after spotting the clear foul in the entire ordeal.
Cristiano can be seen protesting the foul by throwing his arms up in the air but doesn’t get the same emotion from his teammates – who are well aware of how apparent a foul it was.
Due to the lack of pre-season training, there is still rustiness in Ronaldo’s game and that has been quite evident in his performances so far this season.
While this viral picture might appear as very appealing for some, the reality is that the 37-year-old forward needs to improve a number of things about his game if he wishes to become the stalwart striker for Ten Hag’s side.
