Cristiano Ronaldo continued to add to his fairytale footballing career today after the Portuguese legend put Manchester United in front against Tottenham at Old Trafford with a first-half blockbuster brace.
The first goal saw the star forward collect the ball from 30-yards out after Fred flicked on into his path before he took one touch then sent a hard-hit curling effort past French international Hugo Lloris into the top corner at the far post.
RONALDO SMASHED THIS ??
(Via @NBCSportsSoccer)
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 12, 2022
His wonder strike, the tenth Premier League goal of the season for the former Real Madrid and Juventus star, was more than just a scintillating effort; it was the 805th official goal of his career, which saw him temporarily sit level with Czech great Josef Bican at the top of the all-time goalscoring list and nearly 50-goals ahead of Pelé.
It was the perfect return to the matchday XI for Ronaldo after the star man did not feature in the 4-1 heavy defeat against rivals Manchester City last weekend, and the match opener was just a taste of what was to come.
Ronaldo added a second on the night after Jadon Sancho was put through down the left-hand flank before the England international starlet played across the face of goal for Ronaldo to smash home from close range to put United ahead once again, securing his 806th strike to take sole possession at the top of the official all-time goalscoring list.
Ronaldo climbs Premier League goal chart for United
Now officially the all-time leading goalscorer in European football, Cristiano Ronaldo has also jumped up another goal chart with his first-half brace after he secured his 94th and 95th Premier League goals for Manchester United.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 30: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates after scoring their sides third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford on December 30, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
The Portuguese now sits level with former Dutch international and United fan favorite Ruud van Nistelrooij and within striking distance of club legend Paul Scholes (107), which, if eventually surpassed, would see him climb into the top-three goalscorers all-time for the Red Devils in the Premier League.
Ahead of Scholes, of course, sits Ryan Giggs (109) and then Wayne Rooney (183). With nine matches to go in the domestic fixture list, Ronaldo could well have a chance to reach the 100-club by the end of the 2021-22 league campaign.
