Match ends, Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2.
Cristiano Ronaldo headed the winner nine minutes from time as Manchester United came back from two goals down to record a memorable Champions League triumph against Atalanta at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had been booed off at the break, such was the lack of invention they showed in falling behind to goals from Mario Pasalic and Merih Demiral.
But the jeers turned to cheers as United, roared on by an increasingly frenzied crowd, rallied to complete one of their great European victories.
Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit with an excellent finish eight minutes after the restart before skipper Harry Maguire drove home after being left free at the far post to get on the end of Edinson Cavani's flick.
But, inevitably, it was Ronaldo who won the game, just as he did three weeks previously against Villarreal.
This time it was with one of his trademark headers as he rose to meet Luke Shaw's cross and find the bottom corner to send United to the top of Group F.
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Solskjaer's success when it matters
This was another one of those nights when Solskjaer seemed to pull it out of the bag just as his Old Trafford reign was about to be seriously called into question.
However, the home fans at least made their feelings known before kick-off with a long rendition of 'Ole's at the wheel', before the familiar 'Ole, Ole, Ole' chant rang round Old Trafford.
Once the game had started, 'Who put the ball in the German net' was heard. That song is in honour of Solskjaer's most famous goal, the Champions League winner in 1999 that ensures he will always be a hero at the club, no matter how his managerial reign works out.
The problem for Solskjaer is that the managing bit has not been going well at all.
Brave enough to drop Paul Pogba following Saturday's defeat at Leicester, when the United boss bemoaned his side's defending at set-pieces and said something had to change, Solskjaer was rewarded by one of the Frenchman's midfield replacements going missing for the Atalanta opener before his side conceded a second at a corner.
From a position of limited danger, United were suddenly in loads of it, purely because Davide Zappacosta's overlapping run went completely unchecked as Scott McTominay failed to react. The low cross invited the finish, which Pasalic duly applied from inside the six-yard box.
It was the fifth time in seven home Champions League games under Solskjaer that United had fallen behind.
For the second, Demerai simply wanted it more as he climbed highest at a corner to power in the second, with both Shaw and Maguire ineffective in response.
There had been agitation before the half-time whistle, which brought a lot of boos, before the singing section close to the tunnel offered more positive support, which Solskjaer acknowledged as he made his way towards the dressing rooms.
Comeback completed
Given the 45 minutes that had gone before and the task that lay in front of them in the second period, it was something of a surprise Solskjaer did not make a change at the break.
It was almost a 'you got us into this mess, you get us out of it' move by the United boss. And it worked.
United tore into their opponents and both Ronaldo and Rashford could have scored before the England man did, converting a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes by opening his body up and finding the far corner.
McTominay hit a post and Ronaldo had another shot saved as United continued to build pressure, in much the same way as Sir Alex Ferguson's great teams used to when they found themselves in a spot of bother.
The problem is Ferguson's teams tended to be defensively secure. Solskjaer's most definitely is not and David de Gea needed to make acrobatic saves to deny Luis Muriel and Ruslan Malinovskyi at a point when had they conceded again, United would surely have lost.
As it was, they survived, regrouped and - with Pogba, Jadon Sancho and Cavani introduced - went again.
Maguire's finish had plenty of feeling behind it. So had Ronaldo's celebration as he sank to his knees and did a double fist-pump after once more becoming the United hero.
With Liverpool, Tottenham, another meeting with Atalanta and Manchester City to come before the next international break, no-one can be too sure where United go from here.
But this game won't be forgotten in a hurry.
Player of the match
PasalicMario Pasalic
Manchester United
Avg
- Squad number21Player nameCavaniAverage rating
6.27
- Squad number25Player nameSanchoAverage rating
5.85
- Squad number6Player namePogbaAverage rating
5.78
- Squad number31Player nameMaticAverage rating
5.66
- Squad number7Player nameCristiano RonaldoAverage rating
5.54
- Squad number10Player nameRashfordAverage rating
5.42
- Squad number1Player namede GeaAverage rating
5.06
- Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
4.82
- Squad number23Player nameShawAverage rating
4.75
- Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
4.54
- Squad number29Player nameWan-BissakaAverage rating
4.45
- Squad number5Player nameMaguireAverage rating
4.33
- Squad number39Player nameMcTominayAverage rating
4.32
- Squad number2Player nameLindelöfAverage rating
4.06
- Squad number17Player nameFredAverage rating
4.04
Atalanta
Avg
- Squad number88Player namePasalicAverage rating
7.85
- Squad number9Player nameMurielAverage rating
7.84
- Squad number3Player nameMaehleAverage rating
7.82
- Squad number72Player nameIlicicAverage rating
7.81
- Squad number77Player nameZappacostaAverage rating
7.80
- Squad number28Player nameDemiralAverage rating
7.77
- Squad number11Player nameFreulerAverage rating
7.74
- Squad number7Player nameKoopmeinersAverage rating
7.74
- Squad number6Player namePalominoAverage rating
7.69
- Squad number1Player nameMussoAverage rating
7.61
- Squad number15Player namede RoonAverage rating
7.57
- Squad number91Player nameZapataAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number66Player nameLovatoAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number18Player nameMalinovskyiAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number59Player nameAl MiranchukAverage rating
6.35
- Squad number13Player namePezzellaAverage rating
5.84
Line-ups
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1de Gea
- 29Wan-Bissaka
- 2Lindelöf
- 5Maguire
- 23ShawBooked at 64mins
- 39McTominaySubstituted forPogbaat 66'minutes
- 17FredSubstituted forMaticat 88'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 11GreenwoodSubstituted forSanchoat 73'minutes
- 18Bruno Fernandes
- 10RashfordSubstituted forCavaniat 67'minutesBooked at 90mins
- 7Cristiano Ronaldo
Substitutes
- 3Bailly
- 6Pogba
- 8Mata
- 14Lingard
- 20Dalot
- 21Cavani
- 25Sancho
- 26Henderson
- 27Alex Telles
- 31Matic
- 34van de Beek
- 36Elanga
Atalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Musso
- 15de RoonBooked at 57mins
- 28DemiralSubstituted forLovatoat 45'minutesBooked at 55mins
- 6PalominoBooked at 80mins
- 77Zappacosta
- 7KoopmeinersSubstituted forPezzellaat 80'minutes
- 11Freuler
- 3Maehle
- 88PasalicBooked at 57minsSubstituted forMalinovskyiat 68'minutes
- 72IlicicSubstituted forAl Miranchukat 68'minutes
- 9MurielSubstituted forZapataat 56'minutes
Substitutes
- 13Pezzella
- 18Malinovskyi
- 31Rossi
- 42Scalvini
- 57Sportiello
- 59Al Miranchuk
- 66Lovato
- 91Zapata
- 99Piccoli
- Referee:
- Szymon Marciniak
- Attendance:
- 72,279
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home56%
- Away44%
- Shots
- Home22
- Away13
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away6
- Corners
- Home8
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Booking
Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Edinson Cavani (Manchester United).
Post update
Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Booking
Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by José Luis Palomino (Atalanta).
Post update
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Marten de Roon (Atalanta).
Post update
Foul by Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United).
Post update
Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Nemanja Matic replaces Fred because of an injury.
Post update
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Edinson Cavani.
Post update
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Giuseppe Pezzella.
Post update
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta).
Goal!
Goal! Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luke Shaw with a cross following a corner.
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And the master tactician Ole gets to keep his job 👍