INTERNATIONAL: Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, says Cristiano Ronaldo has answered many critics of his value to the team. He helped Man United to a 3-2 win over Atalanta on Wednesday night in the UEFA Champions’ League.

Ronaldo grabbed the 81st minute winner with a superbly executed header. It maintained his 100% scoring record in Group F after three games. In the post-match briefing, Solskjaer took aim at those who’ve been questioning whether the Portuguese forward, the Champions’ League’s record goalscorer, is contributing enough:

"I was really, really pleased with how he led the line. As I said before, when we asked him to run the channels, drop in, press more because we were at home, of course. We want to get the crowd behind us. He even was down inside his own six-yard box and blocked towards the end, defending. You could see him sprinting. He did everything a centre-forward should be doing. Leading the line and defending. And of course, the goal, is just what he does better than most."

Ronaldo has scored six goals in eight games for United in all competitions so far this season. Solskjaer has faced plenty of criticism himself after Saturday's 4-2 defeat to Leicester City in the Premier League, and praised his side's attitude after going into the break two goals down, even while conceding they need to improve:

"We need to defend better. I know that. And we need to defend key moments better. As Simon, the other Simon just said, it's perceived that we are so inconsistent in performance, general performance, when you concede easy goals. Today, another couple of easy goals. And we need to eradicate that because we are playing against very good teams in the next few weeks."

Manchester United stay top of Group F, two points clear of Atalanta, who are ahead of Villareal in the group only thanks to goal difference. Young Boys lie bottom of the group on 3 points after three matches.