Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his return for Manchester United this weekend after completing his move from Juventus just prior to the close of the transfer window.
The Portuguese legend has already been in the news this week for breaking the record for international goals scored, but arguably his second debut for Manchester United this weekend will be even more noteworthy for UK football fans.
I am expecting something of a betting blitz on the Manchester United v Newcastle game as a result, particularly on any markets to do with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a goal in the game. So if you are someone who is usually found enjoying the offerings of bet365 Games but who would be interested in making such a bet then remember, you can use the same bet365 account to access the sports section of the site too.
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And if you are a Ronaldo fan all around the world, you’ll be keen to see how he performs on his return to the Premier League and if you are based in the United States, check out the BetRivers Sportsbook site for some great soccer betting, including all Premier League games throughout the season.
So, before we focus in on the Portuguese legend and some top bets you may be interested in on that particular game, let’s see how this weekend shapes up in the Premier League in terms of the fixtures to be played.
Premier League Matchday 4 Fixtures (11th – 13th September)
- Crystal Palace v Tottenham Hotspur
- Arsenal v Norwich City
- Brentford v Brighton
- Leicester City v Manchester City
- Manchester United v Newcastle United
- Southampton v West Ham United
- Watford v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Chelsea v Aston Villa
- Leeds United v Liverpool (Sun)
- Everton v Burnley (Mon)
Tottenham sit at the top of the table as the only team with maximum points after three games. They are followed by five teams on seven points, West Ham, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Everton. Man City, Brighton and Leicester are next with six while Brentford lie 10th with five points.
At the foot of the table are Arsenal, Norwich and Wolves who have yet to earn a point in their three games so far, while Newcastle and Burnley have picked up just a point each and lie just outside the relegation zone.
Ronaldo’s Return Sparks Huge Interest
While there are some big games this weekend, including Leicester City v Man City and
Leeds v Liverpool there is no doubt that it is the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford that will capture the imagination of punters.
And when you view his career in statistics, you can understand why Manchester United fans in particular are so excited to have the star back on their books.
Cristiano Ronaldo Career Stats
- Club Games – 897
- Club Goals – 674
- International Caps – 180
- International Goals – 111 (a record)
Club Records
- 2002-2003 – Sporting Lisbon – 33 Games – 5 Goals
- 2003-2009 – Manchester United – 292 Games – 118 Goals
- 2009-2018 – Real Madrid – 438 Games – 450 Goals
- 2018-2021 – Juventus – 134 Games – 101 Goals
- 2021 – ? – Manchester United
Crazy Ronaldo CR7 Stats
- In his first spell at Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo won ten trophies, including the Champions League.
- He is still the only Manchester United player to score 30+ Premier League goals in a season. When netting 31 in the 2007-08 season. Only four other players have achieved this feat. Alan Shearer, Luis Suarez (who both scored 31) and Mohammed Salah (who scored 32).
- He is Manchester United’s 7th highest scorer in Premier League history and needs 16 more goals to have scored 100 Premier League goals. If he achieves this, he will be the first player to score at least 100 goals in the Premier League and La Liga.
- At his previous club, Juventus, he won five trophies in his spell at the Old Lady.
- He won 16 trophies at Real Madrid, including four Champions League trophies.
- Since turning 30, he has scored 320 goals in 356 matches in all competitions.
- He is one of only four Manchester United players to have won the Ballon D’Or while at the club, the others being George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.
- He has also won the European Championships and Nations League with Portugal.
- With 111 international goals, he is now the record goalscorer in international football history, two ahead of Iran’s Ali Daei.
- His last goal for Manchester United was on May 10th 2009, against bitter rivals Manchester City.
- He has won the Ballon D’Or on five occasions (the last in 2017) and has finished in second place in the voting on six occasions.
Manchester United v Newcastle Preview
So what are Cristiano Ronaldo’s chances of starting the game against Newcastle United on
Saturday? Well, given that United sold Daniel James on transfer deadline day and that Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are injured and Edinson Cavani’s availability is going to be unclear, it looks extremely likely that Ronaldo will start the game.
Steve Bruce’s Newcastle could well have done without the added headache of having to face one of United’s greatest ever players as his Newcastle team have already struggled a great deal this season. This trip to Old Trafford now looks even more daunting for the Magpies.
It would be incredible if Ronaldo, who remains incredibly fit, does not feature for United as a starter. Given his standing in the game, it would be a huge surprise if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not name the Portuguese ace in the starting eleven, however there is a possibility he could be on the bench initially and then brought on to receive the acclaim of the crowd most likely in the second half.
However, don’t expect that to be a regular occurrence as given how much Ronaldo has cost, how much he earns and his age (he is now 36), it is clear that he has come to play as many games for United as possible.
Possible Teams
- Manchester United – 4-2-3-1 – De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Shaw, Maguire, Varane, Pogba, Fred, Ronaldo, Fernandes, Greenwood, Cavani
- Newcastle United – 3-5-2 – Woodman, Fernandez, Lascalles, Schar, Manquillo, Lewis, Almiron, Longstaff, Willock, Wilson, Saint-Maximin
Top Betting Picks
- Full Time Result – Manchester United – 1/6
For me, theres’ no doubt here that Manchester United will win this game. Even with the potential of a couple of players being absent through injury or otherwise, they should have far too much for Newcastle to cope with, even if the Magpies were playing well, which they are not at the moment.
- Correct Score – Manchester United 3-0 Newcastle – 15/2
I think this is going to be a walk in the park for United here and I think a 3-0 victory is not out of the question, but I suppose the question many people want answering is, will CR7 be amongst the goalscorers?
- First Goalscorer – Cristiano Ronaldo – 15/8
Ronaldo’s odds are too short for an anytime goalscorer bet (4/11), but I think the First Goalscorer bet at 15/8 is a great call here as I can see him starting this game and it would be just like him to mark his return to United with a goal. He may even go on to grab a second in the game, but I think he is a great option for this market for the time being.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of Monday 6th September 2021.
