Cristiano Ronaldo is the first player to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances for Manchester United since Ruud van Nistelrooy in April 2003Cristiano Ronaldo once again rescued Manchester United with a sensational late goal to earn his side a draw against Atalanta that keeps them top of Champions League Group F.
The 36-year-old, who also levelled in first-half added time, volleyed in from outside the box in added time for his second of the night to earn United a crucial point in Bergamo.
Josip Ilicic opened the scoring with a low effort that squeezed under David de Gea at a vociferous Gewiss Stadium and Atalanta thought Duvan Zapata's 56th-minute effort had won it.
Ronaldo capped a wonderful move by firing beyond goalkeeper Juan Musso for his first following a delightful Bruno Fernandes back-heel, after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had been on the back foot for much of the first half.
United were also second best after the break but Ronaldo, who scored a late winner in the reverse fixture and against Villarreal, delivered with a vital goal to keep United in pole position heading into the final two group games.
At 2-1 down, United were sitting third in the group and facing the prospect of going out if they lost to Villarreal in their next fixture, but now a win would see them through with one game to spare.
United leave it late again
Many have questioned the impact of Ronaldo's return to United, but the Portugal great has proved in Europe's elite club competition there is no-one better for producing when it matters.
Ronaldo has scored in each of United's group games, netting crucial winners, and once again showed his desire to rescue his side with an instinctive volley that found the bottom corner in the 91st minute.
United had struggled to impose themselves on the fixture but they also produced the move of the match for Ronaldo to grab his first, pouncing on Fernandes' deft touch to level after a first half in which Solskjaer's side had battled to keep the hosts at bay.
United's victory at Tottenham on Saturday was supposed to be a pivotal moment for Solskjaer, with Spurs boss Nuno Espirito Santo losing his job and Solskjaer's tactical tweaks suggesting a far more solid and resilient Reds side existed to the one thumped 5-0 by Liverpool a week earlier.
The Norwegian stuck with a three-man defence for the trip to Bergamo, but the system could not account for a costly error from goalkeeper De Gea, who let a seemingly comfortable effort from Ilicic slip beneath him 12 minutes in after smart work on the left from Zapata.
It was the ninth time in the 14 matches under Solskjaer in the Champions League they have conceded first and livewire forward Zapata had a huge chance to double the Serie A's side lead on the half-hour mark after Paul Pogba gave the ball away on the edge of his own box, with Eric Bailly making a vital block.
When centre-back Raphael Varane went down injured soon after, Solskjaer abandoned the three-man defence to instead bring on forward Mason Greenwood and it worked almost instantly as the substitute combined with Fernandes and Ronaldo in the sensational move that saw United level.
But they were unable to wrangle the momentum after the break and Zapata ran clear to flick beyond De Gea, despite Harry Maguire thinking the goal, awarded after a lengthy VAR check, was initially offside.
It was Atalanta who looked more like adding to their lead, but Ronaldo has become accustomed to bailing out his side in the Champions League.
The leveller was his 127th goal in all competitions for United and not only saw him overtake Solskjaer in the club's scoring charts but also helped ease the pressure on his former team-mate and now manager.
Player of the match
Cristiano RonaldoCristiano Ronaldo
Atalanta
Squad number91Player nameZapata
Squad number72Player nameIlicic
Squad number77Player nameZappacosta
Squad number7Player nameKoopmeiners
Squad number6Player namePalomino
Squad number3Player nameMaehle
Squad number28Player nameDemiral
Squad number11Player nameFreuler
Squad number15Player namede Roon
Squad number88Player namePasalic
Squad number9Player nameMuriel
Squad number1Player nameMusso
Squad number19Player nameDjimsiti
Line-ups
Atalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
1Musso
15de Roon28Demiral6Palomino
77Zappacosta7Koopmeiners11Freuler3Maehle
88Pasalic
72Ilicic91Zapata
1Musso15de Roon28Demiral6Palomino77Zappacosta7Koopmeiners11Freuler3Maehle88PasalicSubstituted forDjimsitiat 45'minutes72IlicicSubstituted forMurielat 71'minutes91ZapataSubstitutes
9Muriel13Pezzella18Malinovskyi19Djimsiti31Rossi42Scalvini57Sportiello59Al Miranchuk66Lovato99PiccoliMan Utd
Formation 3-4-2-1
1de Gea
3Bailly19Varane5Maguire
29Wan-Bissaka6Pogba39McTominay23Shaw
18Bruno Fernandes10Rashford
7Cristiano Ronaldo
1de Gea3Bailly19VaraneSubstituted forGreenwoodat 38'minutes5Maguire29Wan-Bissaka6PogbaSubstituted forMaticat 69'minutes39McTominayBooked at 51minsSubstituted forSanchoat 87'minutes23Shaw18Bruno FernandesSubstituted forvan de Beekat 87'minutes10RashfordSubstituted forCavaniat 69'minutes7Cristiano RonaldoSubstitutes
8Mata9Martial11Greenwood14Lingard17Fred20Dalot21Cavani25Sancho26Henderson27Telles31Matic34van de BeekReferee:Slavko VincicAttendance:14,443Live Text
Match ends, Atalanta 2, Manchester United 2.
Second Half ends, Atalanta 2, Manchester United 2.
Harry Maguire (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Luis Muriel (Atalanta).
Attempt saved. Donny van de Beek (Manchester United) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.
Goal! Atalanta 2, Manchester United 2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mason Greenwood.
Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta).
Foul by Eric Bailly (Manchester United).
Duván Zapata (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution, Manchester United. Donny van de Beek replaces Bruno Fernandes.
Substitution, Manchester United. Jadon Sancho replaces Scott McTominay.
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by David de Gea.
Attempt saved. Duván Zapata (Atalanta) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luis Muriel.
Attempt saved. Luis Muriel (Atalanta) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Duván Zapata.
Attempt missed. Duván Zapata (Atalanta) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Davide Zappacosta with a cross following a corner.
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Eric Bailly.
Attempt blocked. Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Edinson Cavani.
Joakim Maehle (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Scott McTominay (Manchester United).
