Macheda’s monumental performance
Manchester United's Federico Macheda reels away in sheer delight, with Danny Wellbeck behind him, after scoring the winning goal against Aston Villa on Sunday. United won 3-2, and the win takes them back to the top of the Premiership.
On his first senior start, Manchester United’s 17-year-old Italian Federico Macheda produced a scintillating performance to ensure United went back on top, overtaking rivals Liverpool.
Signed from Lazio in 2007, Macheda had recently impressed in a reserve match against Newcastle United, scoring a hattrick.
But in the match against Aston Villa on Sunday, Macheda showed that he was no pushover when he scored in injury time, turning beautifully against a Villa defender and, despite losing his balance, managed a strike beyond Brad Friedel.
I screamed my lungs out, and no doubt, the Old Trafford faithful rose to their feet in sheer joy, revelling in the fighting spirit which United have long been renowned for, but which has been virtually absent the past three weeks.
The day also belonged to Cristiano Ronaldo, whose second goal in the match pulled United back from the brink of defeat after Gabriel Agbonlahor had given the Villans a 2-1 lead in the second half.
United had begun the match short on key starters, with several key players sidelined with injury and Wayne Rooney suspended. But, despite Carlos Tevez being the lone striker up front, Ronaldo showed his mettle in front of goal too.
Ronaldo gave United the lead after 14 minutes with a clinically taken freekick in the six-yard box, which was awarded no thanks to a deliberate backpass from James Milner which Friedel caught with his arms.
Milner appeared disgusted, but you should have seen the look on Villa midfielder Stilian Petrov’s face after the shot went in.
The face said it all. Who could blame him?
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo making no mistake within the six-yard box, firing in a freekick which gave United the lead against Aston Villa. United eventually went on to win the match 3-2.
United were on a roll after that, stringing numerous beautiful passes but with a lack of finishing, the score stayed at 1-0. The cause was also helped by Edwin van der Sar, who pulled off a string of saves to preserve the lead, most notably from a freekick by Ashley Young.
Much against the run of play, Villa forward John Carew rose to head in – unopposed, despite the presence of two United defenders – from captain Gareth Barry’s inch perfect cross.
Villa’s confidence, rattled after a dismal 0-5 loss to Liverpool, increased after that, but United were still knocking, although they were let down by poor crosses and some poor finishing.
I wonder how Alex Ferguson must have felt going into half time, and not to mention Martin O’Neill as well.
The score stood at 1-1 at half time, but 13 minutes into the second half, Villa went ahead after Agbonlahor met a cross from Carew with a header ahead of van der Sar, although the former paid a minor price.
Villa appeared to be getting stronger, with Young putting in two chances which were on target. United, on the other hand, were getting a tad frustrated.
The introduction of Macheda in the 61st minute to replace Nani did not seem to change anything for United – yet, though it added more bite to United’s offensive front.
With a narrow 2-1 lead, Villa somehow seemed content to protect that lead and made a defensive change, with Nigel Reo Coker being brought on to replace Milner in the 76th minute.
But there was nothing he could do to stop Ronaldo from sliding the ball into the Villa net four minutes later, which sent the crowd into a frenzy and also sparked the belief that United could pull off a victory over Villa.
And so they strove. Really hard. Darren Fletcher found himself in space and blasted a strike which was tipped narrowly over the bar.
Time was running short. Two minutes from the end, United forward Danny Wellbeck was brought on in place of Tevez, who had a visibly frustrating afternoon.
Wellbeck was presented with a gilt-edged chance not too long after that following a Villa defensive slip, but Friedel was spot on to deny the youngster.
At this point, one would wonder if United’s slide in form would continue, but Macheda ensured that would not be the case with a composed, well-taken shot from within the box.
Macheda instantly became a hero, and the looks on the faces of the United players and an erupting bench showed just how valuable the victory was for United.
Even the SkySports commentator could not help but rejoice along with the United fans
They held on to win the match, a much needed tonic to prevent a third consecutive defeat and also a much needed boost ahead of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal encounter against FC Porto at home.
The win also took them back to the top of the Premiership, one point ahead of Liverpool but with a game in hand.
Indeed, a moment to savour and revel in. Unbelievable.
