Cristiano Ronaldo isn’t usually off target with his lethal strikes on goal.
But this morning he was, causing a scare as a fierce warmup shot struck a steward and knocked her to the ground before kickoff in the UEFA Champions League clash between Manchester United and Young Boys.
The Portugese megastar then showed his class by bailing on his preparations and leaping the barrier to check on the woman’s health at Wankdorf Stadium.
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A huddle formed around the steward as Ronaldo expressed his concern before gaining assurance the injuries weren’t serious.
Indeed, the steward had a mile wide smile after the game as the proud recipient of Ronaldo’s shirt.
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The 36-year-old was on target during the group stage match, scoring United’s only goal in the surprise 2-1 loss to the Swiss club.
The score was 1-1 when Ronaldo was replaced by Jesse Lingard as United — playing defensively after a red card in the 35th minute for defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka — withstood increasing pressure from the unheralded Swiss champion roared on by most of a noisy 31,120 crowd.
But there was a late twist as Lingard’s misplaced back pass deep into stoppage time teed up Jordan Pefok to settle the game with almost the last kick.
Pefok pounced on the loose ball behind the United defence to shoot past goalkeeper David De Gea, giving Young Boys coach David Wagner a stellar start to his first Champions League campaign.
“This is something absolutely extraordinary,” Wagner said, though adding “we have to say it was deserved.”
Pefok’s goal came from Young Boys’ 19th effort on goal, compared to two for United — both from Ronaldo — and none after the 24th minute.
Asked why he removed his superstar from the action, United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said “he’s exceptional but we have to look after him as well.”
“It felt like the right moment to take him off,” Solskjaer said, noting that the Swiss champion’s artificial surface — the only plastic pitch of the 32 Champions League teams this season — “takes its toll as well.”
It all added up to a third group stage loss for United in Switzerland in the past decade after two defeats at Basel.
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Both coaches cited Wan-Bissaka’s red card as a game changer.
His boot went through the ball in a challenge on Christopher Martins deep in the Young Boys half.
“It was never reckless or malicious but probably a little bit inexperienced to go through there,” Solskjaer said.
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Ronaldo’s goal in the 13th minute was created by Bruno Fernandes’ clever pass with the outside of his right foot into the path of his Portugal teammate for a low shot that squirmed under goalkeeper David von Ballmoos.
Young Boys deservedly levelled in the 66th minute when midfielder Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu met a low and deflected cross into a crowded goalmouth with a shot that beat De Gea at his near post.
Ronaldo claimed a share of more Champions League history just by playing his first United game in the competition since the 2009 final.
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His 177th career appearance in the Champions League proper tied the record held by Iker Casillas, his longtime teammate at Real Madrid.
Both Ronaldo and Casillas have played an extra four games in qualifying rounds.
Those Champions League qualifying rounds seemed to have prepared Young Boys well for facing a star studded United team playing just its fifth competitive game of the season.
The Swiss team was sharp and physical in its 13th game of a season that started in mid-July with the first of six Champions League qualifiers.
“We always knew that they are a high intensity, energetic, athletic team.” Solskjaer said, noting his team’s failure to create more counterattacks after Raphael Varane came on for the second half to steady the defence.
Solskjaer also lamented a penalty kick not given by French referee Francois Letexier when Ronaldo had broken clear of Young Boys defender Mohamed Ali Camara in the 54th minute.
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“That’s what sometimes you get with young refs,” the United manager said, suggesting Letexier “probably didn’t dare do it because he had to send (Camara) off then.”
Still, the later result in Group F was favorable with Villarreal and Atalanta drawing 2-2 in Spain.
United hosts Villarreal on September 30 (AEST) — a rematch of last season’s Europa League final that it lost.
Atalanta hosts Young Boys on the same day.