Ronaldo scored his first hattrick for Manchester United, and led the team to demolish Newcastle 6-0 in Old Trafford. Carlos Tevez scored a double while Rio Ferdinand was on the score sheet as well.
MU dominated the game from the start but the scoreline was surprisingly kept at 0-0. In fact they could have gone a goal behind if Michael Owen’s goal was not wrongly ruled as offside… but then, United had 2 penalty claims (one was obvious foul in the box) denied as well.
The 2nd half was a different story though; Manchester United finally convert their dominance into goals. Ronaldo opened the scoring on 49th minute with a cleverly taken freekick, and scored the other two on 70th minute and 88th minute.
The hattrick takes Ronaldo’s goal tally to 22 for the current season, just one short of last season’s 23-goals.
Manchester United chief executive David Gill insists the club would never sell Cristiano Ronaldo, amid reports Real Madrid are lining up a £50m offer.
“There’s no chance of us selling him, no way, whatever the bid,” he said.
“Cristiano signed a new contract last season to 2012 and we are not a selling club. (Manager) Alex Ferguson has never let a player go he didn’t want to.
“He is happy here. Alex knows Ronaldo’s mind and what he’s about – everything about him is Manchester United.”
[Source]
Real Madrid aim to once again test Manchester United’s resolve to keep Cristiano Ronaldo after it emerged they were prepared to pay £45million for the striker.
The Spanish club’s president Ramon Calderon revealed his desire to land Ronaldo after failing to do so once before when the 22-year-old snubbed him to sign a new five-year deal at Old Trafford.
United are certain to turn down any offer, but Real see Ronaldo as the player to return them to Champions League glory.
Calderon said: “Who wouldn’t want to have in his team a player of Cristiano Ronaldo’s amazing talent? He is one of the best in the world.”
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