Cristiano Ronaldo marked his record-breaking 178th Champions League appearance with a 95th-minute winner as Manchester United snatched a 2-1 victory over Villarreal at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had barely threatened until he fired past Geronimo Rulli at the back post to ease the mounting pressure on United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with virtually the last kick of the game.
United were staring down the barrel of another embarrassing group stage exit from the Champions League after deservedly falling behind early in the second half to Paco Alcacer’s smart finish.

Alex Telles’ stunning strike quickly levelled, but a sixth draw from open play in as many meetings between the sides was on the cards until Ronaldo’s late intervention.

Despite the result, there was little in the performance to quell the growing questions as to whether Solskjaer is the man to get the best out of a squad of supremely talented individuals that are yet to click as a collective.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner wasn’t too involved in the game overall but stepped up in the dying embers and beat Geronimo Rulli at his near post after clever work from Jesse Lingard in the box.

United had been 1-0 down to the team who beat them in the Europa League final last season, with Paco Alcacer putting Unai Emery’s side ahead early on in the second half.

But Alex Telles levelled with an exquisite volley before Ronaldo came up clutch again, notching a fifth goal in his second stint and on his record-breaking 178th Champions League appearance.

After bagging with what was more or less the last kick of the game, Ronaldo removed his shirt and was mobbed by his teammates in wild celebrations in front of the Stretford End.

Ronaldo’s heroics came 12 years on from his last Champions League outing in United red and came on the night he broke Iker Casillas’ appearance record in the competition.

Since returning to Old Trafford in a €15 million switch from Juventus, Ronaldo has hit five goals in five games – only failing to score in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.

United were heading towards a third consecutive home loss as well of bottom of the group but the late show means they have their first win of the Champions League group stage at the second time of asking.

Ronaldo’s strike was actually United’s latest in the history of the Champions League, beating Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s famous winner against Bayern Munich in the final at the Nou Camp in 1999.