Jermain Defoe heaped praise on Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday night, saying the movement and finish was “unbelievable.”
Manchester United headed into Saturday’s crucial tie against Tottenham Hotspur under pressure following last Sunday’s 5-0 capitulation to rivals Liverpool.
Such was the performance at Old Trafford that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job was under consideration in the immediate aftermath and fans and pundits called for changes on the field to be made.
One player who was deemed droppable was Ronaldo, who returned to the club in the summer following a remarkable deadline day signing from Juventus.
So it was inevitable that the first goal of the game came from the Portuguese superstar.
Linking up with countryman Bruno Fernandes, Ronaldo watched a delicate chipped pass from Ronaldo onto his right foot and volleyed first time across Hugo Lloris and into the bottom right-hand corner.
The finish deserved the praise it received from Defoe, who said at half-time on Sky Sports: “It’s an unbelievable finish. If you watch his movement, the movement off the cross is unbelievable.
“He takes one step to keep himself onside and then spins in behind and the finish is unbelievable. These are the things you say to young strikers with volleys; always try stay relaxed and keep the ball low, always across the goalkeeper.
“He’s been doing this his whole career but the movement here is unbelievable. That’s a difficult finish from that angle.”
Ronaldo turned provider for United’s second, playing in strike partner Edinson Cavani who dinked the ball exquisitely over Lloris.
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