Manchester United 3-0 Sheriff Tiraspol: Cristiano Ronaldo scores in comfortable win

Cristiano Ronaldo scored successful some games against Sheriff successful Group E

Cristiano Ronaldo marked his instrumentality to the Manchester United fold with his 701st vocation extremity to seal a comfy Europa League triumph implicit Sheriff Tiraspol astatine Old Trafford.

But with 9 minutes left, the Portuguese large got his caput to a Bruno Fernandes cross. Sheriff keeper Maxym Koval made a debased prevention but arsenic the shot spilled loose, Ronaldo pounced to implicit United's biggest triumph of the play and widen their unbeaten tally to 7 matches successful each competitions.

It was a affirmative extremity to a hard week for the five-time Ballon D'Or winner.

And for United, it acceptable up a Europa League radical decider with Real Sociedad successful Spain adjacent week, erstwhile the Premier League broadside indispensable avenge their decision connected matchday 1 successful bid to apical the radical and debar a play-off that could pit them against European heavyweights Barcelona, Juventus oregon Atletico Madrid.

Diogo Dalot enactment the hosts connected their mode to triumph with a near-post header from Christian Eriksen's country a infinitesimal earlier the break.

Substitute Marcus Rashford past headed location Luke Shaw's near helping transverse midway done the 2nd period.

• Reaction to Thursday's European action

Ronaldo yet gets it right

Ronaldo's extremity was his 23rd successful Europe for Manchester United

The occupation with gauging immoderate antagonistic absorption to Ronaldo comes from the cognition that erstwhile fans bellow his celebrated 'Siuu' celebration, it sounds precise overmuch similar booing.

There was surely a sound that wasn't supportive cheering erstwhile the Portuguese's sanction was work retired conscionable earlier kick-off and the champion that could beryllium said was that the absorption was mixed.

The information is, astatine 37, Ronaldo has struggled to marque an interaction this season.

His champion first-half accidental came erstwhile Bruno Fernandes steered a header to him wrong the six-yard box. Normally, the stabbed decorativeness would person recovered the bottommost corner. This clip it went consecutive to goalkeeper Maxym Koval.

There was an audible gasp of anticipation astatine the commencement of the 2nd half, erstwhile Ronaldo stepped to his near arsenic helium has done truthful often successful his vocation to marque abstraction for a changeable from the borderline of the area.

The full stadium waited for the nett to bulge. Instead the changeable flew wide, to Ronaldo's full disbelief. Shortly afterwards helium did find the nett with a volley, which was correctly ruled retired for offside. Within seconds a supportive 'Viva Ronaldo' chant rolled circular the ground.

It marked a turning constituent from the stadium. Ronaldo's extremity brought jubilation, adjacent though the crippled was won. And the sound that came from the passageway country arsenic helium made his mode to the dressing rooms astatine the last whistle was precise overmuch a affirmative one.

More to follow.