Young Boys stun Ronaldo’s 10-man Manchester United in Champions League
Substitute Jordan
Siebatcheu struck with the last kick of the game as Swiss side Young Boys
claimed a sensational 2-1 Champions League win over 10-man Manchester United on
Tuesday.
USA striker Siebatcheu pounced on Jesse Lingard’s short
back-pass to tuck the ball past David de Gea for a 95th-minute winner in front
of a delirious crowd at the Wankdorf Stadium.
Ronaldo had earlier put United ahead with his third goal in
two games since returning to Old Trafford.
However, the match hinged on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s sending-off
late in the first half for a dangerous tackle on Young Boys midfielder
Christopher Martins which gave Young Boys hope.
The hosts hit back to equalise in the second half through
Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu and Ronaldo was substituted before Siebatcheu got the
winner.
It is a terrible start for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in
Group F, especially with tougher tests likely to come against Atalanta and
Villarreal.
Ronaldo at least added to his statistics — he is the
Champions League’s all-time record scorer and now has 135 goals in the
competition, 15 more than his old enemy Lionel Messi.
He will be 37 early next year but his hunger for success in
Europe’s elite club competition knows no bounds and he clearly felt returning
to Old Trafford gave him a better chance of winning a sixth European Cup than
if he stayed at Juventus.
However, it is a decade since United were a real force in
the Champions League and this is another disappointing European result for
them.
Young Boys won their fourth straight Swiss title last season
but have since lost their top scorer, Cameroon’s Jean-Pierre Nsame, to a
serious injury while coach Gerardo Seoane departed for Bayer Leverkusen.
He has been replaced in the Swiss capital by David Wagner,
the German-born former USA international and one-time boss of Huddersfield Town
in the Premier League.
Red card changes game
While on paper this was an obvious mismatch, Young Boys did
have a boisterous support behind them in a packed stadium with coronavirus
restrictions in Switzerland now eased.
However United silenced the crowd as they took an early
lead, Bruno Fernandes delivering a glorious pass with the outside of his right
boot from the left for Ronaldo to steal in behind Ulisses Garcia at the back
post and score.
Goalkeeper David von Ballmoos made contact with the shot but
failed to keep it out and Ronaldo had the first goal of this season’s Champions
League.
He has now scored in the Champions League in 16 straight
seasons, and he had another shot saved at the end of a quick break forward,
just after Switzerland winger Christian Fassnacht had tested David de Gea at
the other end.
At that point it seemed only a matter of time before the
visitors picked off their opponents on the break, but then came the sending-off
of Wan-Bissaka in the 35th minute.
The full-back’s studs caught Luxembourg international
Martins above the left ankle, and French referee Francois Letexier had no
choice but to show a straight red card.
Solskjaer immediately removed Jadon Sancho to send on a
replacement right-back in Diogo Dalot. He then brought on Raphael Varane for
the second half in place of Donny van de Beek, who had been given his first
start this season.
That meant a back five for the second half, with Ronaldo
left alone up front, while Young Boys pushed forward looking for an equaliser
that came in the 66th minute when Ngamaleu got in front of Varane and prodded
home Meschack Elia’s cross from the right to the delight of the home fans.
Ronaldo came off in the 72nd minute and right at the end of five added minutes Young Boys won it as Lingard provided the perfect assist for Siebatcheu.
