MANCHISTER UNITED BERHASIL MENUNDUKAN ATLANTA 3-2 (Manchester United bounced back and clinched a 3-2 win over Atalanta)

 Manchester United bangkit dan meraih kemenangan 3-2 atas Atalanta di matchday ketiga Grup F Liga Champions musim ini, meski sempat tertinggal dua gol lebih dulu di babak pertama.

Bermain di Old Trafford, Kamis (21/10) dini hari WIB, sontekan Mario Pasalic (15') dan sundulan Merih Demiral (29') membawa Atalanta unggul 2-0 di babak pertama. Namun MU mengubah strategi, bermain lebih agresif, dan sukses membalikkan keadaan di babak kedua.

Gol-gol dari Marcus Rashford (53'), Harry Maguire (75'), dan Cristiano Ronaldo (81') mengantarkan MU menutup laga dengan kemenangan 3-2. Hasil ini membuat MU memuncaki klasemen sementara dengan 6 poin, hasil dua kemenangan dan sekali kalah.

Sementara itu Atalanta melorot ke urutan kedua dengan 4 poin, sama dengan Villarreal yang membuntuti di urutan ketiga.

Jalannya pertandingan

Atalanta mengejutkan tuan rumah dengan unggul lebih dulu di menit ke-15. Davide Zappacosta masuk ke kotak penalti lewat sisi kanan kemudian melepaskan crossing mendatar ke depan gawang MU. Mario Pasalic yang bebas dari perangkap offside tanpa kesulitan melakukan tap-in untuk menjebol gawang David De Gea.

Sontekan bola dari Pasalic membawa Atalanta unggul lebih dulu. Foto: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

MU coba menyamakan kedudukan di menit ke-21. Crossing Cristiano Ronaldo gagal disambut Bruno Fernandes, namun berhasil sampai di kaki Fred. Gelandang Brasil itu melepaskan tembakan ke keras ke gawang Atalanta, tetapi bisa ditepis kiper Juan Musso.

Alih-alih menyamakan kedudukan, MU kembali kebobolan di menit ke-29. Berawal dari sepak pojok yang dilepaskan Teun Koopmeiners, Merih Demiral berhasil memenangi duel udara atas Luke Shaw dan Harry Maguire lalu menyundul bola ke gawang MU tanpa bisa dihalau De Gea.

Sundulan Demiral berhasil membuat Atalanta menggandakan skor. Foto: AFP/PAUL ELLIS

Ronaldo coba membawa MU bangkit di menit ke-36. Ia menggiring bola masuk ke kotak penalti Atalanta, namun dihalau oleh Demiral. Pada akhirnya sepakan striker Portugal tersebut melebar jauh dari sasaran.

Atalanta juga terus mencoba menambah gol. Luis Muriel punya peluang di menit ke-42, tetapi tembakannya mengarah tepat ke pelukan De Gea.

Pada menit ke-44, kerja sama Marcus Rashford dan Fernandes diakhiri dengan umpan terobosan ke kotak penalti Atalanta yang diterima oleh Fred, namun tembakannya melebar di sisi kanan gawang Musso. Di injury time, sepakan Rashford masih membentur tiang gawang. Skor 2-0 bertahan hingga jeda.

Di babak kedua, MU coba tancap gas. Di menit ke-48, umpan dari Fernandes membuat Ronaldo tinggal berhadapan dengan Musso, tetapi sepakannya masih bisa diblok. Rashford hadir mengambil bola muntah, namun sepakannya melebar.

Rashford kembali mendapat peluang di menit ke-50. Berdiri di luar kotak penalti, ia mendapat second ball hasil kemelut di depan gawang, namun tembakannya masih melebar dari sasaran.

GOL! MU menipiskan jarak menjadi 1-2 di menit ke-53. Fernandes merebut penguasaan bola Atalanta, lalu mengirim umpan terobosan kepada Rashford, yang berlari menyambut bola dan masuk ke kotak penalti. Pemain nomor 10 itu melepaskan tembakan yang bersarang di sudut kanan gawang Atalanta.

Sepakan melengkung Rashford berhasil menipiskan jarak menjadi 1-2. Foto: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

Gol tersebut membuat para pemain MU kembali bersemangat. Hampir saja gol kedua hadir di menit ke-56, kalau saja tendangan bebas Ronaldo tak melebar di sisi kiri gawang Musso. Dua menit berselang, sambaran Scott McTominay juga membentur tiang gawang.

Atalanta coba keluar dari tekanan. Joakim Maehle melepaskan tembakan jarak jauh di menit ke-61, tetapi masih belum tepat sasaran. MU membalas di menit ke-65 lewat tembakan Mason Greenwood, tetapi sepakannya ditepis oleh Musso.

Nyaris! Duvan Zapata hampir mencetak gol di menit ke-71, tetapi tembakannya berhasil dihalau oleh De Gea. Bola muntah berhasil dikuasai oleh Ruslan Malinovsky yang langsung melepas tembakan jarak jauh, tapi De Gea kembali menepisnya.

Buang-buang peluang, Atalanta akhirnya bobol lagi di menit ke-75. Maguire yang menerima umpan sundulan dari Edinson Cavani berhasil menuntaskannya dengan sepakan kaki kanan yang bersarang telak di sudut kiri bawah gawang Musso. Skor jadi sama kuat 2-2.

Maguire berhasil menyamakan skor menjadi 2-2 berkat sepakan kerasnya yang berbuah gol. Foto: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

MU terus menekan Atalanta. Fernandes punya kesempatan mengubah skor di menit ke-80, tetapi sepakannya di kotak penalti masih ditepis oleh Musso.

COMEBACK! MU sukses berbalik unggul 3-2. Menerima crossing Shaw dari sisi kiri di menit ke-82, Ronaldo berhasil menyundul bola masuk ke gawang Musso.

Sundulan Ronaldo memastikan kemenangan MU. Foto: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

Di sisa waktu, Atalanta mencoba bangkit mengejar ketinggalan demi membawa pulang poin ke Bergamo, namun gagal dan MU berhasil memenangi laga dengan skor 3-2.

Susunan pemain

Manchester United: David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Fred (Nemanja Matic 88'), Scott McTominay (Paul Pogba 67'); Mason Greenwood (Jadon Sancho 73'), Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford (Edinson Cavani 67'); Cristiano Ronaldo

Atalanta: Juan Musso, Davide Zappacosta, Jose Luis Palomino, Merih Demiral (Matteo Lovato 46'), Marten De Roon, Joakim Maehle, Remo Freuler, Teun Koopmeiners (Giuseppe Pezzella 81'), Mario Pasalic (Ruslan Malinovsky 68'), Josip Ilicic (Aleksey Miranchuk 68'), Luis Muriel (Duvan Zapata 56')

ENGLISH

Manchester United bounced back and clinched a 3-2 win over Atalanta on matchday three of Group F this season's Champions League, despite falling two goals down in the first half.

Playing at Old Trafford on Thursday (21/10) early in the morning, Mario Articleic's flick (15') and Merih Demiral's header (29') brought Atalanta 2-0 up in the first half. But MU changed strategy, played more aggressively, and managed to turn things around in the second half.

Goals from Marcus Rashford (53'), Harry Maguire (75') and Cristiano Ronaldo (81') led Manchester United to close the game with a 3-2 victory. This result makes MU topped the standings with 6 points, the results of two wins and one defeat.

Meanwhile Atalanta slipped to second place with 4 points, the same as Villarreal who trailed in third.

The course of the match

Atalanta surprised the hosts by taking the lead in the 15th minute. Davide Zappacosta entered the penalty box through the right side then released a horizontal crossing in front of the MU goal. Mario Articleic, who was free from the offside trap without difficulty, tap-in to find David De Gea's goal.

A flick of the ball from Articleic gave Atalanta the lead first. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

MU tried to equalize in the 21st minute. Crossing Cristiano Ronaldo failed to be greeted by Bruno Fernandes, but managed to reach Fred's feet. The Brazilian midfielder fired hard into the Atalanta goal, but was saved by goalkeeper Juan Musso.

Instead of equalizing, MU conceded again in the 29th minute. Starting from a corner kick released by Teun Koopmeiners, Merih Demiral managed to win an aerial duel over Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire and then headed the ball into the MU goal without De Gea being able to block it.

Demiral's header managed to make Atalanta double the score. Photo: AFP/PAUL ELLIS

Ronaldo tried to bring MU up in the 36th minute. He dribbled into the Atalanta penalty box, but was denied by Demiral. In the end, the Portuguese striker's shot went wide of the target.

Atalanta also continue to try to add goals. Luis Muriel had a chance in the 42nd minute, but his shot went straight into De Gea's arms.

In the 44th minute, the cooperation of Marcus Rashford and Fernandes ended with a through ball into the Atalanta penalty box which was accepted by Fred, but his shot went wide on the right side of Musso's goal. In injury time, Rashford's shot still hit the post. The score of 2-0 lasted until the break.

In the second half, MU tried to step on the gas. In the 48th minute, Fernandes' pass put Ronaldo in front of Musso, but his shot was blocked. Rashford came to collect the ball gag, but his shot went wide.

Rashford had another chance in the 50th minute. Standing outside the box, he got a second ball from a scramble in front of goal, but his shot went wide of the target.

GOAL! MU thinned the distance to 1-2 in the 53rd minute. Fernandes took possession of Atalanta and then sent a through ball to Rashford, who ran to meet the ball and into the box. The number 10 player fired a shot that nestled in the right corner of the Atalanta goal.

Rashford's curling shot narrowed the gap to 1-2. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

The goal made the MU players excited again. The second goal almost came in the 56th minute, if only Ronaldo's free kick didn't go wide on the left side of Musso's goal. Two minutes later, Scott McTominay's strike also hit the post.

Atalanta try to get out of the pressure. Joakim Maehle fired a long-range shot in the 61st minute, but it was still not on target. MU responded in the 65th minute through Mason Greenwood's shot, but his shot was parried by Musso.

Barely! Duvan Zapata almost scored in the 71st minute but his shot was cleared by De Gea. The gag ball was successfully controlled by Ruslan Malinovsky who immediately fired a long-range shot, but De Gea again brushed it off.

Wasting opportunities, Atalanta finally broke again in the 75th minute. Maguire who received a header from Edinson Cavani managed to finish it off with a right footed shot that nestled heavily in the bottom left corner of Musso's goal. The score is equally strong 2-2.

Maguire managed to equalize the score to 2-2 thanks to his hard kick which resulted in a goal. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

United continue to press Atalanta. Fernandes had a chance to change the score in the 80th minute, but his shot in the penalty box was still denied by Musso.

COMEBACK! MU success turned 3-2 ahead. Receiving Shaw's crossing from the left in the 82nd minute, Ronaldo managed to head the ball into Musso's goal.

Ronaldo's header ensured Manchester United's victory. Photo: Getty Images/Naomi Baker

In the remaining time, Atalanta tried to catch up to bring home the points to Bergamo, but failed and MU managed to win the match with a score of 3-2.

Lineup

Manchester United: David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Fred (Nemanja Matic 88