Cristiano Ronaldo: Cameras Captured Portuguese Star's Disheartening Reaction when United Went 4-0 Down

Cristiano Ronaldo: Cameras Captured Portuguese Star's Disheartening Reaction when United Went 4-0 Down

Rene Otinga
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:13 PM
In this article:
Cristiano Ronaldo logo
C. Ronaldo
Al Nassr FC logoFPortugal logo
English Premier League logo
ENG Premier League
England
  • Cristiano Ronaldo could barely hide his disappointment on the bench as Manchester United were being hammered by Man City
  • By halftime, United were trailing 4-0 and Ronaldo’s reaction to his side’s performance was captured by cameras
  • Erik ten Hag later said he did not play Ronaldo out of respect for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s career

Cristiano Ronaldo was visibly upset and distraught at Manchester United’s first-half performance in the derby on Sunday, October 2.

In a fairly one-sided game, Phil Foden and Erling Haaland both bagged hat-tricks as the Premier League champions cruised to a 6-3 victory.

United had such a poor first half on the day that hundreds of fans resorted to leaving the stadium early after their team’s shambolic performance.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Man United, Manchester derby
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United warms up ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on October 02, 2022. Photo by Laurence Griffiths.
Source: Getty Images

Sky Sports managed to capture an aerial view of the Etihad Stadium, which made for interesting viewing at halftime.

Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ find "Recommended for you" block and enjoy!

United managed to salvage some of their pride however, thanks to goals from Anthony and Anthony Martial to at least half the score line.

Erik Ten Hag used all his five substitutes during the game, bringing in Casemiro, Luke Shaw, Fred, Anthony Martial and Victor Lindelof, effectively meaning Ronaldo would not be making an appearance in the derby.

In the first half, Ronaldo sat next to his former Real Madrid teammate Casemiro and cameras managed to capture their reaction when the side was being hammered 4-0.

Ronaldo was clearly in disbelief as he covered his face, while Casemiro was finding it difficult to watch the game as well.

Ten Hag accused of disrespecting Cristiano

After the game, former Manchester United man Roy Keane, who was on punditry duty, was adamant that failing to play Ronaldo in the derby was an act of disrespect.

According to Keane, a man who emerged top scorer for his team last season should have at least been handed the chance to make an impact in the game, despite Ronaldo’s reputation of failing to press in tough games.

"I think Man United are showing disrespect to Ronaldo. I think he should have been let go before the [closing] of the window," Keane said on Sky Sports.

Authors
Rene Otinga photo
Rene Otinga
Rene Otinga is a sports journalist with over eight years of working experience in digital media. Rene's experience includes working as a Copywriter at X News Kenya and TUKO.co.ke.
Tags
Erik Ten HaagPep GuardiolaWorld