Watch: Subs Ronaldo & Casemiro react brilliantly to Man Utd goal
Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo started Manchester United’s Premier League match against Southampton on the bench – but they were there to celebrate with Bruno Fernandes when he scored the winner.
Manchester United started the Southampton game – this weekend’s Saturday lunchtime kick-off – on a high having beaten Liverpool on Monday night.
United lost their first two games of the season, against Brighton and Brentford, but had bounced back to beat their great rivals 2-1 at Old Trafford, putting in an energetic, incisive display.
Two of the main talking points from that game came off the pitch, though: firstly, the arrival of Casemiro from Real Madrid for £60million; secondly, the fact that United legend Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench.
For the Southampton game, Ronaldo again found himself watching the action from the sidelines, this time sitting alongside Casemiro, who had signed too late to be anything other than an observer for the Liverpool tie.
While it was natural that Casemiro was on the bench from the start given how recently he arrived, Ronaldo’s continued presence among the subs will cause more speculation about his future.
Several reports have suggested he is unhappy at the club, with Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Napoli and others linked with a move for the Portuguese goal robot.
You imagine Ronaldo does not react particularly well to being left on the bench, but he is not sulking, at least not publicly.
Before the Southampton game, he was seen playing a little prank on Rio Ferdinand, who was on punditry duty for BT Sport.
And when Bruno Fernandes scored the only goal of the game about ten minutes into the second half, Ronaldo was close on hand to celebrate with Fernandes and their team-mates, smiles on the faces of all.
Ronaldo was warming up alongside Casemiro when the goal went in and the Brazilian looked just as chuffed as his former Real Madrid team-mate.
Both Ronaldo and Casemiro would later come on, the latter for his very first appearance in a United shirt.
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