Cristiano Ronaldo pulls off late winner to push Man Utd past Villarreal

If anyone still isn't convinced that Cristiano Ronaldo has made a massive positive impact at Manchester United, his last-minute winner against Villarreal last night should seal the deal.

Ronaldo scored in the 95th minute of the Red Devils' crucial 2-1 victory in their second match of the UEFA Champions League Group Stage. They suffered a shock defeat against Young Boys in their opening match, and the victory against Villarreal at Old Trafford keeps their chances of getting to the knockout stage very much alive.

Villarreal meanwhile, will be disappointed to come home without a single point after taking the lead in the 53rd minute from a strike by Paco Alcacer. The hosts were able to find the equaliser thanks to the Brazilian combination of Bruno Fernandes and Alex Telles. It looked like the clubs will be sharing the spoils of the match until Cristiano Ronaldo made his presence known.

"It's my job," he said in an interview after the match. "We knew it before the game, we must win the game. It was tough, the team was a little bit nervous," he added, before praising his teammates for their positive attitude until the very end. "Great attitude from our players. The fans pushed us a lot," he said.

It was an entirely different Manchester United to the one that Unai Emery's team defeated for the Europa League title just a few months ago. Back then, they didn't have the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at their disposal.

Ronaldo made a sensational comeback to Old Trafford this summer, after having been linked to possible moves from Juventus to PSG, Real Madrid and Manchester City. In the end, he opted to return to United, dedicating his decision to mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

Many have been sceptical about his return, but very few can deny the positive impact he has made on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.