They said he was selfish, the lesson in humility Ronaldo had with Garnacho against Real Sociedad

When Erik Ten Hag's squad list for tonight's encounter came out, many worried why Cristiano Ronaldo was lining up alongside a youngster that idolizes him, in a game that is United's most important match this season. Ronaldo was unbothered as he was very much ready to showcase why he is the number choice to create magic on such an important occasion.

Ten Hag and Ronaldo's new relationship continued on the right path after the Portuguese laid on a delicious pass to Alejandro Garnacho on the left side of United's attack, as the youngster used his pace to beat his marker and put United ahead with a beautiful shot, that roofed the net. Ten Hag jumped up in celebration as his team turned their first significant attacking play into a goal.

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A quick VAR check to ascertain if Bruno Fernandes was offside from the build-up was quickly dismissed and the goal stands, as United look to get a few more goals to keep them ahead of their opponents at the top of the table. Real Sociedad did dominate the first few minutes of the game as United absorbed the pressure but gradually grew into the game.

A win will not be enough for United unless they score more than one and hope they can keep a clean sheet to give them the edge on goals scored to guarantee an automatic spot in the round of 16, which is Ten Hag's goal for the night. Failure to achieve their desired result, will see United have to face one of the eight dropout teams from the Champions League.

CAN UNITED SCORE MORE?

Erik Ten Hag will certainly hope so as he seeks to tick one off his to-do list as they continue they climb on the Premier League table. Ronaldo will be expected by United fans to guide them to the promised land with a couple of goals too. The likes of Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez will be looking to clean up any lapse in their defense to ensure that the result goes their way after 90 minutes.