Jamie Jackson was there to witness it all. Here’s his report. You know what to do. Thanks for reading this MBM. Nighty night!

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gives a broad, crowd-pleasing performance on BT. “The fans are a big part of this club. The singing section kept everyone going. That is what you do with Manchester United in the Champions League. This corner [arms outstretched] are the best in the world. They keep going. I am good. I thought we played well in the first half, but two chances, two goals, this has to stop. We have a habit of doing this at this club. But we never stopped believing, kept on going.”

Des Kelly then points out that the players clearly put in a shift for him. “Don’t start. Don’t disrespect the players, they play for Man United. They know they are the luckiest men in the world, and I said that to them tonight. The XI plus the subs are the ones who can play for Man United, and that’s what millions of boys and girls want to do. If anyone wants to criticise Cristiano Ronaldo for work-rate or attitude, just watch this game.”

United captain Harry Maguire speaks to BT Sport. “We conceded two bad goals. We created a lot of chances in the first half, so we knew coming in at half time the next goal would be crucial. I think in the end we deserved the victory. Yes, we made it difficult, but it’s a great victory in the end. We showed great togetherness in the dressing room at half time. We got cheered and clapped off at half time, the fans gave us great energy and we got the result they deserved.”

Some aggressive bampot bursts from the crowd and makes a beeline for Ronaldo, nearly getting hold of his shirt before stewards drag him off to the cooler. Ronaldo, unperturbed, walks away from the scene smiling. A celebratory atmosphere in Old Trafford, as the Atalanta players trudge off sadly, the home heroes walking on air. To think United were booed off by a section of the crowd at half time! They were bottom of Group F at one point this evening ... but now they’re top with six points. Big game in Italy coming up on Matchday Four. Big game against Liverpool coming up on Sunday, too; they’ll go into that with their tails most firmly up.

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Say what you like about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the man knows how to get a result when the jig looks up. What a comeback! One of the great European nights at Old Trafford.

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90 min +5: Zappacosta’s shot is dragged wide left, and that is surely that!

90 min +4: Cavani is booked for clattering into Malinovskyi. A free kick out on the right. One last chance for the visitors to draw level.

90 min +3: Matic is booked for faffing around at the free kick.

90 min +2: Palomino clatters into Shaw. For the first time this evening, Atalanta betray some frustration.

90 min +1: De Roon strips Ronaldo of possession. Ronaldo goes down slyly and earns a very cheap free kick. De Roon throws himself to the floor in anger and anguish. Ronaldo wanders away with a cute smile playing across his face, as the clock ticks on.

90 min: There will be four extra minutes.

89 min: A corner on the right leads to another on the left. United struggle to clear the second one, but do just enough to force Palomino into running the ball out for a goal kick.

88 min: Before it can be taken, Fred - feeling his hamstring - is replaced by Matic.

87 min: Atalanta won’t give up, though, and Maehle busies himself down the right to win a corner off Cavani.

85 min: Paul Scholes called this on BT Sport, let’s remember. As things stand, it’s been a good night all round for Old Trafford living legends.

84 min: The roof has come off Old Trafford, as you’d imagine. To be fair, it was in a pretty rickety state already, but the point stands.

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82 min: ... and to think there have been rumours that Solskjaer had lost the dressing room. This second-half performance would firmly suggest otherwise.

... you always knew it. Ronaldo’s free kick is deflected out for a corner. And from that, the ball’s worked back up the wing for Shaw, who swings one into the mixer. Ronaldo rises imperiously, eight yards out, and plants a stunning header into the bottom left, Musso given no chance! What a header! What a turnaround!

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81 min: Palomino is booked for fouling Fernandes out on the left. Before the free kick can be taken, Pezzella replaces Koopmeiners. And then ...

80 min: Fernandes dances his way into the Atalanta box from the right. He beats a couple of men before sending a power curler towards the bottom left. Musso sticks out a strong hand to parry. What a game this is!

79 min: Atalanta aren’t likely to take this lying down, though, and Zappacosta makes a nuisance of himself down the right. The ball’s eventually worked left for Zapata, who tees up Koopmeiners for a low drive that flies harmlessly wide right.

77 min: That’s got Old Trafford bouncing. The comeback complete! And with plenty of time to find a winner as well!

Yep. Bruno swings a cross in from the right. Cavani goes to head the dropping ball but dummies for Maguire, who, coming into space from the left, sweeps a shot into the bottom left from 12 yards! What a finish that is!

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74 min: Fernandes’ corner is met by Maguire, whose downward header is snaffled by Musso. There are surely more goals in this game.

73 min: Sancho comes on for Greenwood, and immediately wins a corner down the right.

72 min: At the corner, the ball drops to Palomino, ten yards out. His snapshot is deflected over. Nothing comes of the second corner. United suddenly hanging on again. It’s been a to-and-fro tussle all right.

71 min: An astonishing double save by De Gea keeps United in it! Zapata spins Lindelof with ease down the inside right and steps into the box. His low drive is hacked clear by the keeper and falls to Malinovskyi, who smacks goalwards from 25 yards. De Gea tips away for a corner.

70 min: Greenwood tries to release Ronaldo down the inside left but the pass is miscontrolled. Atalanta so nearly opened up.

68 min: A double change for Atalanta now. Ilicic and Pasalic are replaced by Malinovskyi and Miranchuk.

66 min: Pogba and Cavani come on for McTominay and Rashford, the latter having spent the last couple of minutes rubbing his left thigh.

64 min: This is breathless. Bruno finds Ronaldo with a slide-rule pass down the inside left. Ronaldo spins and shoots towards the bottom right. Musso parries well. Atalanta break, and Shaw is booked for a cynical check on Zappacosta. This will surely not end 1-2.

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62 min: Now Koopmeiners has a dig from distance. His shot is blocked and dribbles though to De Gea. Some much needed respite for Atalanta, if nothing else.

61 min: Maehle finds a bit of room down the left, glides inside, and aims a riser towards the top right. Always high and wide.

59 min: Atalanta still carry a threat, though, and Zapata bursts down the left, his low cross towards Ilicic hooked out of his own six-yard box by Fred. Attack might be the best form of defence for both these teams.

58 min: United are a completely different animal now! Greenwood works some room down the right and crosses low for McTominay at the near stick. McTominay shins an effort onto the right-hand post and away!

57 min: Two more yellow cards for Atalanta in a few seconds, Pasalic and De Roon panicked into rash fouls with United’s dander up. The Old Trafford faithful fancy this now. The place is a cauldron. Atalanta are in danger of losing their heads ... and have replaced Muriel with Zapata.

56 min: Ronaldo takes it himself, and in a very strange fashion, a low dipper that’s always heading wide left.

55 min: Atalanta are rocking. Ronaldo goes romping down the inside-right channel, chasing after a long pass. As he reaches the edge of the box, he’s cynically clattered by Lovato. Just a booking - it wasn’t yet a clear goalscoring opportunity - but it’s a free kick in a very dangerous position.

Game on! And what a goal this is! Fernandes, on the edge of the centre circle, his back to play, nips one around the corner to release Rashford down the inside-left channel with one insouciant, elegant flick! Rashford strides towards the box, takes a touch to steady himself, and smoothly dispatches a shot across Musso and into the bottom right! A famous comeback begins here?

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52 min: Cavani is warming up with purpose ... as is Atalanta top scorer Zapata.

50 min: United have definitely been issued with some clear, no-nonsense advice during the break. Wan-Bissaka flies down the right and wins a corner. Maguire nearly meets the set piece with a header; Rashford sends another shot wide left. So much better from the hosts, who have made chances all evening, despite it all. Next goal means so much.

48 min: ... and the deficit should have been halved. Fernandes slips a pass down the middle for Ronaldo, who is one on one with Musso ... but slams his shot straight at the keeper. The ball breaks wide left for Rashford, who sends a first-time shot miles off target. Now that would have changed the momentum.

47 min: United have clearly upped the tempo. They’re flying into everything.

Atalanta get the ball rolling for the second half. Two positives for United, who are two down at half time at home for the first time in the Champions League: Demiral, Atalanta’s man of the first half, has succumbed to injury. He’s replaced by Lovato. And they’re attacking the Stretford End in this second half, just as they like it. The crowd roar defiance. Here we go, then.

On BT Sport, Paul Scholes, United living legend, suggests all is not yet lost. “The formation makes it a 50-50 game. It’s a gamble. United could come back and win this game 3-2 or 4-2.” He also admits they could go on to “get beat four or five”. When you’re two down at the break, you take anything that’s on offer.

Half-time postbag. “Worth mentioning that there is another United legend available now if Ole gets the chop tonight?” - Peter Ferry.

“I don’t often bother myself with scientific concerns but, every time I watch this United team, I find myself wondering ‘what’s the opposite of alchemy?’ If I was Ronaldo, I’d be keeping all those ballons d’or well away from this manager” - Oliver Dungey.

“Poor, poor, pitiful Ronaldo must be rueing his move to the wrong United. Had he just held out for a couple of months, he could have made a fortune at Newcastle. And probably been given the player-manager job too” - Justin Kavanagh.

The whistle is met with plenty of booing, though the quiet majority in Old Trafford are either too stunned, resigned or depressed into reacting. Big half-time team-talk for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer coming up.

45 min +1: A long pass down the right, Fernandes to Rashford. He’s free! He strides into the box and lashes a shot across Musso ... and off the top of the crossbar! For all United’s dismal display, they could quite easily have notched three goals.

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45 min: There will be one added minute. Let’s wait for the reception, it could be quite revealing.

44 min: A huge chance for Fred to put a different spin on this first half! He one-twos cutely with Fernandes down the inside left, glides inside, and opens his body to shoot. His curler, meant for the bottom right, sails wide. Ronaldo throws his arms in the air in theatrical dismay. Pity poor Fred, though; on another night, he could quite easily have had two goals. He’s come closest for United.

42 min: Bruno, quarterbacking from the right-back position, releases Rashford with an astonishing rake! Rashford is one on one with the keeper. He shapes to shoot on the edge of the box, and ... the ball’s whisked away by a perfectly timed slide from Demiral, who is having one hell of a game.

41 min: Atalanta are first to almost everything right now. Muriel sends a pea-roller towards De Gea. Another smattering of discontent from the home fans.

39 min: United, shaping to launch an attack, faff around and are forced to play the ball all the way back to De Gea. A few boos. I’m sensing rancour. “Does Ole have his heart set on winning the Europa League?” quips Gary J Byrne, because somebody had to.

37 min: Shaw pings a long pass down the inside left for Ronaldo, who can’t quite control. He’d have been free on goal had he managed to keep that glued to his boot. Ah, the flag goes up for offside anyway.

35 min: A few misplaced United passes. A few groans. It’s turning into that sort of evening. Ronaldo cuts in from the left, enters the box, and shanks a shot, falling over under pressure from Demiral. He claims a penalty, but no no no.

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33 min: No response as of yet from United, who seem beyond shocked at the state of play right now. That gives us time to consider the following from our very own Philip Cornwall: “BT’s Darren Fletcher just described a goal scored after 14 minutes and 37 seconds as ‘the worst possible start for Manchester United’. Fletcher was in Madrid last night commentating on Atlético going 2-0 down inside 13 minutes – does he have a short-term memory problem? And is this the latest recorded misuse of ‘worst possible start’?”