Champions League - Ronaldo fires United through

Eurosport - Thu, 16 Apr 10:01:00 2009

A stunning long-range strike from Cristiano Ronaldo sent Manchester United into the Champions League semi-finals with a 1-0 win at Porto.

2008-2009 Champions League Porto-Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo Wayne Rooney - 0

The Portuguese powered home a spectacular drive in the sixth minute as the holders secured a tense 3-2 aggregate victory.

United became the first British side to win at the Estadio do Dragao in 23 attempts over 41 years, and their reward is an all-Premier League semi-final against Arsenal.

After a month of shambolic defending and uncertainty, this was the solid, secure United that earlier this season set a record number of consecutive Premier League clean sheets.

Rio Ferdinand must take much credit for this on his return from a groin injury. While he did not have an outstanding game individually, his constant communication appeared to imbue his colleagues with improved positional sense and confidence.

Nemanja Vidic, in particular, looked much improved from his poor displays against Liverpool, Sunderland and the first leg against Porto.

Porto fielded the same starting 11 that performed so admirably at Old Trafford a week earlier, but were without their charismatic coach Jesualdo Ferreira, who served a touchline ban.

The punishment was the result of a misguided appeal against a sanction from earlier in the competition, and Ferreira opted not even to turn up to the stadium, leaving his assistant Jose Gomez to his own devices.

United failed to control the first leg, allowing Porto to snatch a late 2-2 draw, but grabbed the return fixture by the scruff of the neck. Or rather, Ronaldo did.

The winger has been widely criticised for performing below his best this season, but for all the carping he remains a fairly useful player - if not the world's best, then certainly still in the top 10.

He has 20 goals to his name this campaign and has lost none of his sense of occasion.

After five minutes of barracking from the Porto fans - a product of his former association with rivals Sporting Lisbon - Ronaldo unleashed a firecracker from nearly 40 yards that whooshed past Helton into the top-left corner.

Take that, naysayers.

In an instant, all the angst about Mariano Gonzalez's late equaliser in the first leg disappeared.

United had regained the aggregate advantage and could once again lead from the front. Although Porto improved as the half went on, they were reduced to half-chances - the best of these came to Bruno Alves who beat Vidic in the air but sent his header just wide.

United fans held their breath when Wayne Rooney pulled up in pain on 37 minutes after a challenge from Rolando.

The England striker has had a tough history against Portuguese opponents. He suffered a broken metatarsal against Portugal at Euro 2004, then another following a Paulo Ferreira tackle versus Chelsea in 2006. Then he was sent off - after an intervention from Ronaldo - for a stamp at that year's World Cup, again against Portugal.

While United could have been forgiven for fearing the worst, the 23-year-old hobbled around briefly before shaking the injury off.

Porto created little in the second half, but the knowledge that a single home goal would send the holders out meant jitters crept in.

United have not forgotten the late Costinha goal that allowed Jose Mourinho's Porto to topple them in 2004, and the failure to add more breathing space made for a tense finale.

Edwin van der Sar's horribly bobbled clearance on 82 minutes typified the anxiety, yet in truth he had little to do except make some routine saves from Hulk and Lisandro Lopez.

After the pyrotechnics at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, this was much more like the tense, tight Champions League we know.

But United know what it takes to win and did just enough to set up an all-English semi-final.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

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  1. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    MAN UTD FANS.HOW CAN YOU BEEN SO CONFIDENT,YOUR NOT­ PLAYING THAT WELL AT THE MO.IF YOU THINK YOUR GOING TO­ BREEZE PAST ARSENAL YOUR IN FOR A BIG SHOCK,YOU'S­ WERE LUCKY TO BEAT SUNDERLAND LAST WEEK.I HOPE­ LIVERPOOL WIN THE LEAGUE AND ARSENAL WIN CHAMPIONS­ LEAUGE.MAN UTD FANS ARE JUST BIG HEADED C.U.N.T.S­ RONALDO IS A GREAT PLAYER NO DOUBT BUT HES A CHEATING­ DIVING GREESY LITTLE RAPIST T.W.A.T.COMM'ON­ LIVERPOOL WIN THE LEAUGE

    From robbieisfineshedyahoooo, on Thu 16 Apr 8:54AM

  2. How many of you Man U 'fans' have actually been­ to Old Trafford?

    From Martin B, on Thu 16 Apr 8:52AM

  3. Its all about ability, focus, dedication and the will­ to overcome. No matter how difficult it seems, just­ have it in mind its possible. Go UTD, but beware the­ next hurdle will be tougher. But I trust Man. Utd to­ paint Asene Wenger and Arsenal Red. We are the­ champions and no one can stop us. God is our strength.

    From Wait, on Thu 16 Apr 8:52AM

  4. I remember the Hillsborough disaster well and, like­­ Munich, Bradford and Heysel, it is always a tragedy if­­ people die when all they set out to do was enjoy a­ game­ of football. They were accidents and no decent­ person­ should throw around insults which seek to take­­ advantage of personal misery. If there was any decency­­ at Old Trafford or Anfield, the vast majority of loyal­­ fans would get the crazies who shout slurs about­ Munich­ and Hillsborough banned for life. Yahoo should­ do the­ same here

    The game of football is about­ passion and­ about each of us who love the game getting­ 100% behind­ our team, and taking the mick out of the­ fans of our­ main competitors at every conceivable­ opportunity. ­ That will always make us have a tendancy­ towards being­ a bit too tribal, but keep it in­ proportion everybody­ ... and be prepared to take it as­ well as give it,­ since we've all had good games­ and bad games, good­ seasons and disasterous­ seasons.

    As a 50 year­ supporter of Man U (yes, I do­ go to Old Trafford­ regularly !), it's great to see­ Leeds eating dirt;­ it's great to be on a 10 year­ streak of domination­ (at least domestically); it's­ fantastic to see the­ Liverpool arrogance of the­ 80's being a distant­ painful memory; ... and­ there's nothing quite so­ enjoyable as winning­ another Premier Leauge watching a­ bunch of sobbing­ Frenchies, Ruskies and Spaniards­ sobbing in their­ Bentleys.

    However, whilst I love my­ team and loathe­ all of you pretenders, I'm not so­ blind as not to­ genuinely admire the passion of the­ Liverpool and­ Newcastle supporters ... and not so­ blinkered as to­ recognise the fighting spirit that­ Liverpool showed on­ Tuesday night (however much I­ wanted you to lose just­ to watch the grin slip off­ Benitez' face at the­ post-match interview)

    Now­ folk, back to the ribbing -­ Man U forever and, you­ bunch of sad scousers, just­ keep watching Ronaldo's­ strike last night and­ weeping on your benefit­ statements !

    From Ian M, on Thu 16 Apr 8:49AM

  5. Where are the loud-mouthed liverfool fans and their­ spagetti coach rafa? thanks to
    arsenal for booting out­ liverfool. the final? obviously MAN-U vs chelsea..after­ the
    match, we retain the cup..glory..glory..glory­ haleluyaaaaaaa

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 16 Apr 8:48AM

  6. THE GREAT THING ABOUT LAST NIGHTS WIN WAS A CLEAN SHEET­ , AND THAT TO ME PROVES THE BLIP IS GONE THE GAME WAS­ GREAT BUT NERVES WERE TIGHT BUT MANU LOOKED SOLID AND­ IN CONTROL , I AM GLAD FOR THE OTHER TWO CLUBS ALSO AND­ A PREM CLUB WILL BE IN FINAL OR MAYBE TWO ,,,,,,,,, I­ FEEL LIVERPOOL HAD A GOOD SEASON BUT LOST WHEN IT­ COUNTED IN ALL COMPETIONS AND THAT IS DOWN TO MANAGER­ ,, I CANT SEE LIVERPOOL DOING MUCH NEXT SEASON AS THEY­ HAVE PLAYED THE BEST THEY CAN AND WON NOTHING­ ,,,,,,,AGAIN ,, SO I HOPE MANU WILL BE IN THE FINAL­ AGAINST BARC COS THAT WOULD BE A GREAT FINAL TO ATTACK­ TEAMS ,,, AND ANYONE WHO MOCKS DISASTERS IS SOME­ SICKO IN LIFE , ANY GOOD TRUE FAN WOULD NEVER DO THAT­ ONLY TOTAL MORONS WHO DONT DESERVE ANYTHING SO AS A­ MANU FAN I MOCK YOUR TEAM IN GOOD SPIRIT BUT I RESPECT­ YOUR LOSSES AS YOU WOULD RESPECT OTHERS GOOD LUCK ­ ,,,MANU CHAMPIONS

    From Chris, on Thu 16 Apr 8:31AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Man
    U
    Never
    Intended
    Coming
    Home

    YNWA

    From rc.alcock, on Thu 16 Apr 8:28AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Man
    U
    Never
    Intended
    Coming Home

    YNWA

    From rc.alcock, on Thu 16 Apr 8:27AM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Where are the loud-mouthed liverfool fans and their­ spagetti coach rafa? thanks to
    arsenal for booting out­ liverfool. the final? obviously MAN-U vs chelsea..after­ the
    match, we retain the cup..glory..glory..glory­ haleluyaaaaaaa

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 16 Apr 8:19AM

  10. Where are the loud-mouthed liverfool fans and their­ spagetti coach rafa? thanks to
    arsenal for booting out­ liverfool. the final? obviously MAN-U vs chelsea..after­ the
    match, we retain the cup..glory..glory..glory­ haleluyaaaaaaa

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 16 Apr 8:19AM

  11. Where are the loud-mouthed liverfool fans and their­ spagetti coach rafa? thanks to
    arsenal for booting out­ liverfool. the final? obviously MAN-U vs chelsea..after­ the
    match, we retain the cup..glory..glory..glory­ haleluyaaaaaaa

    BEL pa zed

    From Brian, on Thu 16 Apr 8:17AM

  12. Next please! Go man U!

    From mosesmbawo, on Thu 16 Apr 8:04AM

  13. Nigel W:I agree with you.ANYBODY that makes up,or sings­ songs about such tragedies ARE a disgrace.Not just to­ football,but full stop.
    But then,as I said in my­ earlier post many Liverpool fans do respect the loss of­ life at Munich and would respect any rememberance­ appropriately.As many of Man Utd fans would­ respectfully act appropriately concerning­ Hillsborough.So why I'm deluded because I slate ONE­ "so-called" Man U fan is beyond me.
    You,and­ Man Utd should have nothing to do with that mug!!

    From jhr881, on Thu 16 Apr 8:01AM

  14. Is there any moderators on this site,or are they all in­ bed.

    From barramagg, on Thu 16 Apr 7:44AM

  15. Man u is the best 4 all . man u goooooooooooooooooooo­­ then the next minute is very big goal! keep on i luv­ u­ guys

    From Venkat P, on Thu 16 Apr 7:34AM

  16. No. 317, I agree with you, we don't need any­ tossers to talk bad of the dead or the teams they­ supported. Let's have good sportsmanship and let­ the best team wim.
    Condolences to the loss at­ Hillsborough, but to the future MU will rule for quite­ a while yet.

    Arsenal, be afraid, be very afraid. The­ RED DEVILS are on their way.

    From steve m, on Thu 16 Apr 7:31AM

  17. Looserpool rubbish

    From gusik85, on Thu 16 Apr 7:27AM

  18. Man u is the best 4 all . man u goooooooooooooooooooo­ then the next minute is very big goal! keep on i luv­ u guys
    kristn babie

    From christine, on Thu 16 Apr 7:24AM

  19. Man u is the best 4 all . man u goooooooooooooooooooo­ then the next minute is very big goal! keep on i luv­ u guys
    kristn babie

    From christine, on Thu 16 Apr 7:22AM

  20. Ronaldo is not the galactico guy of last season, but­ his standard of play is exceptional still. 20 goals,­ leading ManU scorer in the league.

    From Funny, on Thu 16 Apr 7:21AM
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