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23.11.2021 » Can Man United beat Villarreal away from home?
After parting ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United head to La Ceramica to meet Villarreal in a top-table UEFA Champions League Group F encounter, and if you are looking to bet on the game you have the option to spill med bet365 and use the bonus code on offer for your betting needs. A bruising 4-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road was the final straw as the Old Trafford powerbrokers decided to sever ties with Solskjaer following the Red Devils' dreadful run of form. United have lost three of their last five competitive matches by a 2+ goal margin and are already well off the Premier League title pace, sitting a staggering 12 points behind pacesetters Chelsea already.
Cristiano Ronaldo - Skills and goals:
A competitive group in the Champions League...
Things are looking far better in the Champions League, where the three-time European champions have gone unbeaten in three consecutive group matches since a shock 2-1 loss away to Young Boys.
Since that opening matchday reverse, the English heavyweights racked up two consecutive group victories before being held to draw to Atalanta in Bergamo last time out.
Yet, Man United supporters have to thank Cristiano Ronaldo for keeping their club in contention for knock-outs qualification, as the competition's all-time highest scorer continues to deliver.
The 36-year-old scored a last-gasp winner to complete United's turnaround in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford on Matchday 2 before producing another late heroic to tear down Atalanta on the following matchday.
Cristiano bagged a brace in a 2-2 draw with the Italian side last time out, including a stunning late equaliser, taking his Champions League goals tally to 139.
Villarreal vs Manchester United: Head-to-Head
Before Man United's victory in the reverse fixture, each of the previous four Champions League showdowns between these two sides had yielded 'nil-nil' draws.
United have only faced CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen (both six times) on more occasions in the Champions League without ever tasting a bite of defeat.
Yet, the abovementioned triumph was a mere consolation for the Red Devils following last season's Europa League final heartbreak when Villarreal came out on top of a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out.
In the meantime, the Yellow Submarine have yet to pick up a single win against English sides in the Champions League (D6, L5), a trend they'd want to snap on Tuesday.
Manchester United Preview
Even though Ronaldo gave Man United an early lead on his second Champions League debut for the club, Young Boys recorded a come-from-behind 2-1 win in their Group F curtain-raiser.
It means that the Red Devils have now won just seven of their previous 24 Champions League matches on foreign soil (D6, L11) and are winless in the last four such contests in a row (D1, L3).
United have failed to keep a clean sheet in the Champions League this season, conceding an average of 1.75 goals per match in the process.
A tally of seven goals conceded across their opening four group stage fixtures is their joint-worst at this stage of a Champions League campaign since 1998/99.
Though it could sound a bit odd, that could be a good omen, considering they went on to conquer the tournament the last time they had such a frail defensive record.
History beckons for Ronaldo
There are not many records left in the Champions League for Ronaldo to break following the Portugal captain's illustrious career in Europe's elite competition.
He is already the only player in the competition's history to have found the back of the net in all six group stage matches, a feat he could achieve once again this term.
If he scores at La Ceramica, Cristiano will become the first player to have struck the net in the first five fixtures in a single Champions League campaign for an English club.
Ronaldo has 97 Champions League group stage appearances under his belt, meaning he'd need United to qualify for next year's edition to hit the 100-match milestone.
Considering United's poor start to the season, lifting the Champions League crown this term looks like a far-fetched dream at this point.
However, if they somehow manage to turn their fortunes around and wrap up the title, Ronaldo would add something extraordinary to his unrivalled collection of Champions League accolades.
Only Real Madrid great Paco Gento (six) won Europe's most prestigious club trophy on more occasions than Cristiano (five).
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has developed a habit of showing up when United have had their backs against the wall.
Given the importance of Tuesday's encounter, the Old Trafford faithful will likely turn to their saviour to pave the way for the club's passage to the Champions League knock-out phase.
Likewise, the caretaker boss Michael Carrick will need the Red Devils' performer to step up to the plate at La Ceramica, and Ronaldo looks like a perfect man to get the job done.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Manchester United is on November 23, against Villarreal. You can watch Villarreal vs Man United, Sheriff vs Real Madrid, Barcelona vs Benfica, Chelsea vs Juventus, Liverpool vs FC Porto, and Dynamo Kiev vs Bayern Munich, all matches provided from our live streaming game pages.
Manchester United next game:
Villarreal vs Manchester United kick-off time (23-11-2021):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 01:45
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 00:45
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 23:15
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:45
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+1: 18:45
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+0: 17:45
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 14:45
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 13:45
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 10:45
Sources: ronaldo7.net / manutd.com / bbc.co.uk / theguardian.com
