Cristiano Ronaldo was came back in action for Manchester United's FA Cup 4th round against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford.
Ralf Rangnick set a powerful starting team for the clash against the Championship side, including Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford, Raphael Varane and Bruno Fernandes.
The renowned Portuguese forward had an exciting first twenty minutes of the match.
Cristiano, who is just a day shy of his 37th birthday, have scored an incredible bicycle kick in the 7th minute.
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| Image Credit: PA |
He got a great touch with Luke Shaw's cross, however his gymnastic effort was rejected by Joe Lumley.
Thirteen minutes later, Ronaldo was presented with a wonderful opportunity to score.
When Paul Pogba was brought down inside the box, the referee gave Manchester Utd a penalty.
Despite the presence of Fernandes on the field, it was Cristiano who took responsibility and put the football on the spot.
Ronaldo appeared to be in control, but he dragged his shot from 12 yards wide. Watch his mistake here...
😲 @Cristiano puts his penalty wide!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/AwLpf9V3cK
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 4, 2022
According to BeIN Sports reporter Matt Critchley, this was Cristiano Ronaldo's 29th missed penalty efforts in his career. It could be the worst he's ever had.
🚨 @Cristiano misses the target from the spot! 😮
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) February 4, 2022
🏆 @EmiratesFACup | #ITVFootball pic.twitter.com/DdUAhTd3tX
It only goes to show that even the finest footballers make flaws from time to time.
Luckily for him, his mistake did not prove costly, as Manchester Utd quickly took the lead.
Jadon Sancho used a fantastic touch to bring the ball down inside Middlesbrough's area and then shot a left-footed attempt that reached its place into the net.
Later in the half, Cristiano came near again, but this time Lumley saved his close-range shot.
There were no further goals for the rest of the time, as Manchester United maintained their well-deserved 1-0 advantage at the break. In reality, they might and could have been further ahead.
Featured Image Credit: PA