Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 137 goals in the Champions LeagueCristiano Ronaldo headed the winner nine minutes from time as Manchester United came back from two goals down to record a memorable Champions League triumph against Atalanta at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had been booed off at the break, such was the lack of invention they showed in falling behind to goals from Mario Pasalic and Merih Demiral.
But the jeers turned to cheers as United, roared on by an increasingly frenzied crowd, rallied to complete one of their great European victories.
Marcus Rashford reduced the deficit with an excellent finish eight minutes after the restart before skipper Harry Maguire drove home after being left free at the far post to get on the end of Edinson Cavani's flick.
But, inevitably, it was Ronaldo who won the game, just as he did three weeks previously against Villarreal.
This time it was with one of his trademark headers as he rose to meet Luke Shaw's cross and find the bottom corner to send United to the top of Group F.
Solskjaer's success when it matters
This was another one of those nights when Solskjaer seemed to pull it out of the bag just as his Old Trafford reign was about to be seriously called into question.
However, the home fans at least made their feelings known before kick-off with a long rendition of 'Ole's at the wheel', before the familiar 'Ole, Ole, Ole' chant rang round Old Trafford.
Once the game had started, 'Who put the ball in the German net' was heard. That song is in honour of Solskjaer's most famous goal, the Champions League winner in 1999 that ensures he will always be a hero at the club, no matter how his managerial reign works out.
The problem for Solskjaer is that the managing bit has not been going well at all.
Brave enough to drop Paul Pogba following Saturday's defeat at Leicester, when the United boss bemoaned his side's defending at set-pieces and said something had to change, Solskjaer was rewarded by one of the Frenchman's midfield replacements going missing for the Atalanta opener before his side conceded a second at a corner.
From a position of limited danger, United were suddenly in loads of it, purely because Davide Zappacosta's overlapping run went completely unchecked as Scott McTominay failed to react. The low cross invited the finish, which Pasalic duly applied from inside the six-yard box.
It was the fifth time in seven home Champions League games under Solskjaer that United had fallen behind.
For the second, Demerai simply wanted it more as he climbed highest at a corner to power in the second, with both Shaw and Maguire ineffective in response.
There had been agitation before the half-time whistle, which brought a lot of boos, before the singing section close to the tunnel offered more positive support, which Solskjaer acknowledged as he made his way towards the dressing rooms.
Comeback completed
Cristiano Ronaldo was once again Manchester United's hero in the Champions LeagueGiven the 45 minutes that had gone before and the task that lay in front of them in the second period, it was something of a surprise Solskjaer did not make a change at the break.
It was almost a 'you got us into this mess, you get us out of it' move by the United boss. And it worked.
United tore into their opponents and both Ronaldo and Rashford could have scored before the England man did, converting a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes by opening his body up and finding the far corner.
McTominay hit a post and Ronaldo had another shot saved as United continued to build pressure, in much the same way as Sir Alex Ferguson's great teams used to when they found themselves in a spot of bother.
The problem is Ferguson's teams tended to be defensively secure. Solskjaer's most definitely is not and David de Gea needed to make acrobatic saves to deny Luis Muriel and Ruslan Malinovskyi at a point when had they conceded again, United would surely have lost.
As it was, they survived, regrouped and - with Pogba, Jadon Sancho and Cavani introduced - went again.
Maguire's finish had plenty of feeling behind it. So had Ronaldo's celebration as he sank to his knees and did a double fist-pump after once more becoming the United hero.
With Liverpool, Tottenham, another meeting with Atalanta and Manchester City to come before the next international break, no-one can be too sure where United go from here.
But this game won't be forgotten in a hurry.
Player of the match
PasalicMario Pasalic
Atalanta
Squad number88Player namePasalic
Squad number9Player nameMuriel
Squad number3Player nameMaehle
Squad number72Player nameIlicic
Squad number77Player nameZappacosta
Squad number28Player nameDemiral
Squad number11Player nameFreuler
Squad number7Player nameKoopmeiners
Squad number6Player namePalomino
Squad number1Player nameMusso
Squad number15Player namede Roon
Squad number91Player nameZapata
Squad number66Player nameLovato
Squad number18Player nameMalinovskyi
Squad number59Player nameAl Miranchuk
Squad number13Player namePezzella
Line-ups
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
1de Gea
29Wan-Bissaka2Lindelöf5Maguire23Shaw
39McTominay17Fred
11Greenwood18Bruno Fernandes10Rashford
7Cristiano Ronaldo
1de Gea29Wan-Bissaka2Lindelöf5Maguire23ShawBooked at 64mins39McTominaySubstituted forPogbaat 66'minutes17FredSubstituted forMaticat 88'minutesBooked at 90mins11GreenwoodSubstituted forSanchoat 73'minutes18Bruno Fernandes10RashfordSubstituted forCavaniat 66'minutesBooked at 90mins7Cristiano RonaldoSubstitutes
3Bailly6Pogba8Mata14Lingard20Dalot21Cavani25Sancho26Henderson27Telles31Matic34van de Beek36ElangaAtalanta
Formation 3-4-1-2
1Musso
15de Roon28Demiral6Palomino
77Zappacosta7Koopmeiners11Freuler3Maehle
88Pasalic
72Ilicic9Muriel
1Musso15de RoonBooked at 57mins28DemiralSubstituted forLovatoat 45'minutesBooked at 55mins6PalominoBooked at 80mins77Zappacosta7KoopmeinersSubstituted forPezzellaat 80'minutes11Freuler3Maehle88PasalicBooked at 57minsSubstituted forMalinovskyiat 68'minutes72IlicicSubstituted forAl Miranchukat 68'minutes9MurielSubstituted forZapataat 56'minutesSubstitutes
13Pezzella18Malinovskyi31Rossi42Scalvini57Sportiello59Al Miranchuk66Lovato91Zapata99PiccoliReferee:Szymon MarciniakAttendance:72,279Live Text
Match ends, Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2.
Second Half ends, Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2.
Attempt missed. Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ruslan Malinovskyi.
Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Edinson Cavani (Manchester United).
Ruslan Malinovskyi (Atalanta) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by José Luis Palomino (Atalanta).
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marten de Roon (Atalanta).
Foul by Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Manchester United).
Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Nemanja Matic.
Substitution, Manchester United. Nemanja Matic replaces Fred because of an injury.
Corner, Atalanta. Conceded by Edinson Cavani.
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Giuseppe Pezzella.
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Davide Zappacosta (Atalanta).
Goal! Manchester United 3, Atalanta 2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Luke Shaw with a cross following a corner.
