Before Cristiano Ronaldo could claim his place among Manchester United’s greats, he had to learn a valuable lesson that came against Milan in the Champions League, according to Paul Scholes.
Back in the 2004–05 season, the Red Devils found themselves pitted against the Rossoneri in the Champions League round of 16. Man Utd fell flat in both legs of the tie, suffering back-to-back 1–0 defeats to crash out of the competition to the eventual runners-up.
Ronaldo started both matches, but much like Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, he couldn’t get much going against Milan. Scholes remembers the tie as a turning point in the Portuguese forward’s career.
“The defining moment for Cristiano was in the Champions League, and he was playing against [Paolo] Maldini. Best ever,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
“He’s still very young. His first season, I can’t remember, but it took him a little time to get used to it. He played against Maldini and [Gennaro] Gattuso.
“[Gattuso] just kept running over to that side and taking the ball off him. It wasn’t a standout performance, but I think from that day, he learned that at some point, he’s gonna have to pass the ball,” Scholes said.
In the second leg of the tie at San Siro, Man Utd managed just one shot on target in 90 minutes. With an attack featuring Ruud van Nistelrooy, Giggs, Rooney and Ronaldo, the Red Devils were held quiet by Milan’s expert defence.
Scholes: Ronaldo Needed to Show ‘How Good He Was’
Perhaps the outcome would have been different had Ronaldo done what Scholes implored in the Champions League matchup. The future five-time Ballon d’Or winner, though, was more focused on having the ball at his feet instead of looking to his teammates.
“[Ronaldo] thought, ‘I thought I’m just gonna take the ball down, go past everybody,’ and it’s Maldini, and Gattuso keeps splitting over,” Scholes continued.
“Just pass it, but he didn’t do it. He wanted to do something different. He needed to show everyone how good he was.”
Ronaldo eventually listened to the advice, even if it took some time. The club legend tallied 72 assists across his two stints in a red shirt, helping Man Utd top the Premier League three times and the Champions League once.
Ronaldo eventually formed a nearly unbreakable connection with Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale at Real Madrid, recording 131 assists during his time with the Spanish giants.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paul Scholes Reveals the Man Utd Game That Changed Cristiano Ronaldo.
