Liverpool fans make emotional gesture for Cristiano Ronaldo amid son's death

Liverpool FC and Manchester United may have been rivals on the pitch on Tuesday night, but they were united in sharing their support for Cristiano Ronaldo, who announced on Monday that he and his partner Georgina Rodriguez lost their newborn son. Fortunately, one of the twins survived, a daughter.

Ronaldo was understandably left out of the Manchester United squad that travelled to Anfield, but the crowd stood for a minute's applause in the 7th minute to express their emotional support for the grieving Portuguese star.

The club confirmed early on Tuesday that Ronaldo would not be with his teammates, just hours after the tragic news was shared by the player himself. In a statement, the Red Devils said: "Family is more important than everything, and Ronaldo is supporting his loved ones in this immensely difficult time.
As such, we can confirm that he will not feature in the match against Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday evening. We underline the family's request for privacy."

Ronaldo's statement on Monday was brief but it fully conveyed the devastation that he and his family are going through. "It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away, it is the greatest pain that any parents can feel. Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live in this moment with some hope and happiness," Ronaldo said, before thanking the medical team for their efforts to save the baby.

Fans from both sides were united in expressing condolences despite the intense battle that was in progress on the pitch. United were unable to put up a fight against the hosts, who managed to leapfrog Manchester City to the top spot on the Premier League table with a 4-0 victory against Ralf Rangnick's men. That lead may be short-lived however, with City still holding a game in hand.