Premier League, Manchester United vs Newcastle United: Cristiano Ronaldo in action. (Reuters)Premier League, Manchester United vs Newcastle United Highlights: Cristiano Ronaldo announced his return to the Premier League with a brace on his second Manchester United debut, helping his side win 4-1 against Newcastle United at the Old Trafford Stadium on Saturday. After the comprehensive win, the Red Devils went to the top of the table with 10 points from four matches.
After head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer handed the 36-year-old Ronaldo a first start for Manchester United in 12 years, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner opened the scoring right at the stroke of half-time. He restored his team’s lead with a left-footed strike after Javier Manquillo had equalised for Newcastle in the second half. Bruno Fernandes added a third goal from 25 yards in the 80th minute and Jesse Lingard finished off the party with a right-footed shot from inside of the box in injury time.
A comprehensive win takes Solskjaer's men to the top of the standings with 10 points from four matches!
Lingard finishes the contest in style! United keep on toying with the Newcastle defence as Martial passes the ball to Pogba, who then slots a brilliant pass into the box. Lingard latches onto it and swerves it past an outstretched Woodman!
Fernandes and Greenwood are replaced by van de Beek and Martial respectively. Hendrick comes on for Newcastle.
WHAT A HIT! Fernandes scores the best goal of the evening from 25 yards! Greenwood collects the ball on the right-flank and tries to get inside the penalty box. The ball comes to Fernandes' feet just outside of the box and he unleashes a mighty fine right-footed strike to double his team's lead. Third Portuguese goal for United! All but over for Newcastle.
Newcastle grow hungrier for another equaliser with every passing minute as Saint-Maximin and Almiron lead the charge for them. United are patiently pressing their opponents now, carefully waiting for the right opportunity. Earlier, Lingard replaced Sancho from the bench. In other matches, City and Arsenal are leading 1-0 against Leicester and Norwich.
Inevitable! United carve out a rare chance in the second half and Ronaldo makes the visitors pay ruthlessly! Shaw collects the ball in midfield, drives ahead with the ball, plays it into Ronaldo's path and the forward scores with his left foot.
Pogba goes into the book! The midfielder tries to spin his way around with the ball but he steps on Longstaff's foot.
MANQUILLO! The former Liverpool right-back scores his first goal in Newcastle colours and levels things at Old Trafford! Saint-Maximin collects the ball from Almiron and plays it to Manquillo on his right, who then finishes it past De Gea.
Bruce's men have taken to the field in the second half with some intent. Saint-Maximin continues to be a threat on the break but no end product on the show for Newcastle. United are still working on gaining back that momentum...
The ball is set rolling for the second half at Old Trafford. Can Newcastle bounce back or will Ronaldo double the pain?
36y 218d - Cristiano Ronaldo is the oldest player to score for Manchester United in the Premier League since Ryan Giggs in February 2013 (39y 86d v QPR), while only Giggs and Paul Scholes have ever scored for the club at an older age.
12y 124d - Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his first Premier League goal since May 2009 (v Manchester City); his gap between the goals is the second-longest between two strikes by any player in the competition's history, after Matt Jackson.
United have had the lions's share of chances in the first half, but they have been frustrated so far. Newcastle have held their shape well. But at the stroke of half-time, Ronaldo scores! 1-0 to the Red Devils! Who writes these scripts?! He came again, he saw again, and he has scored again. Woodman spills a Greenwood shot and Ronaldo taps it in comfortably.
Ronaldo goes down under Lascelles's challenge. Stretford End bays for a penalty. Ronaldo does not have the temerity to make a similar request.
Almiron and Maximin keep threatening Manchester's back four with their darting runs. Now Maximin finds himself one-on-one against Wan Bissaka. Longstaff has the ball in the box, but he slips. Not happy with Maguire's challenge.
Now, Manchester drive forward again. Ronaldo tries to dribble past two defenders, the ball falls to Bruno, who delivers a dangerous cross. Just out of the reach of the onrushing striker. Big chance for Manchester.
At the 27th minute mark, the referee is seen talking to Newcastle captain Lascelles, presumably about the time the visitors are taking over every setpiece. Rather early for that kind of talk, it would seem. Now, Bruno loses the ball! And Willock fires wide...with Joelinton waiting unmarked in the box.
Manchester now launch a few successive assaults. Bruno's shot is just wide. Then Sancho has a lot of time in the box, but he too can only fire it into the back of a black-and-white jersey. Now, Maguire fires in a header. Collected by Woodman. Still, Manchester keep searching for the opening.
Shaw swings in a corner. Ronaldo among those waiting in the queue in the box. Varane gets his head to it. But it's just wide! Another shot by Ronaldo is blocked off, which gives Newcastle a break with Maximin. Both Almiron and Ritchie try their luck from long range, suggesting Newcastle's approach will be to go from range.
Manchester, on the other hand, keep swinging in the crosses, but young Freddie Woodman is coming forward everytime and collecting calmly.
Almiron nicks the ball in the midfield and initiates a counter-attack, has Maximin for support, who runs into trouble, lays it off for Matt Ritchie's long shot, which is blocked. Newcastle with their first period of pressure around the 15-minute mark. Manchester break away as Maximin tries a fancy stepover too many.
Bruno Fernandes almost threads through a ball to Ronaldo, but a black-and-white foot makes a crucial intervention. Pogba drives the ball forward, Ronaldo comes up with a subtle flick on the Bruno, who loses the ball. It's been all Manchester in the opening few minutes.
Joelinton gets the first chance for Newcastle, after a lapse from Varane on the right flank. Joelinton enters the box, but his shot is weak and wide.
Ronaldo now fires in his first shot on goal. It goes narrowly above the bar.
Kick-off. Manchester stroke the ball around in their half. Ronaldo's first involvement is in close quarters with Manquillo and the ball goes out for a Newcastle throw.
2 minutes gone and Manchester still keeping the ball around the centre line. Newcastle look to hold their 5-3-2 shape, which is often looking like a 5-4-1 formation.
More than year after his retirement from the game, Michael Jordan had announced his return to the NBA with the most famous two-word fax - "I'm back." Now, as Ronaldo returns to Manchester,let us see how this romantic reunion plays out:
Huge cheers as the players step out for the match. Ronaldo back in the starting XI after 4,501 days.
Ronaldo understandably gets the biggest cheer as the two sets of players come out for their warm-up drills. The match will begin at 7:30 pm IST. Meanwhile, in the match with the early kick-off, Crystal Palace have beaten Spurs 3-0.
"He's been good, he's trained well," says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when asked about his decision to select Cristiano Ronaldo from the start this afternoon. Where will the old warhorse play though? A lot of eyes on how he gels with Sancho and, in particular, Greenwood, who can play wide or centrally.
The news we've been waiting for. Ronaldo is making his '2nd debut' vs Newcastle United.