Ronaldo Returns as United Stumble in Madrid DerbyRonaldo Returns as United Stumble in Madrid Derby Cristiano Ronaldo made a dramatic return to Madrid on Tuesday night, but his presence could not prevent Manchester United from slipping to a disappointing 1-0 defeat in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid. Ronaldo, who spent nine trophy-laden years at Real Madrid, was making his first appearance at the Wanda Metropolitano since leaving the Spanish capital in 2018. The Portuguese superstar was warmly welcomed by the home fans, but he was unable to inspire United to a positive result. Atletico took the lead in the 7th minute through a well-taken goal from Renan Lodi. The Brazilian left-back capitalized on a mistake from Aaron Wan-Bissaka to race into the United penalty area and slot the ball past David de Gea. United had several chances to equalize, but they were unable to find a way past Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal. Ronaldo had a number of promising opportunities, but he was denied by some superb saves from the Slovenian goalkeeper. The result leaves United in a difficult position in Group F. After two games, they have just one point and sit bottom of the table. They will need to improve their form quickly if they want to qualify for the knockout stages. For Atletico, the victory was a boost after a disappointing start to the season. They had lost their previous two La Liga games, but they showed their resilience and determination against United. The match was also notable for the debut of Joao Felix for Atletico. The Portuguese forward, who joined the club from Benfica in the summer for a club-record fee, made a promising start to his career in Spain. Overall, it was a disappointing night for United, but Ronaldo’s return to Madrid was undoubtedly the highlight. The Portuguese superstar will be hoping to make a more positive impact when United host Atalanta in their next Champions League match.
