Soccer giants Manchester United and Real Madrid played to a 1-1 draw in the round of 16 of the Champions League yesterday.
Red Devils Forward Danny Welbeck was rewarded for his creative play when in the twentieth minute he headed home a corner-kick delivered by Wayne Rooney.
But just ten minutes later, former United striker Cristiano Ronaldo knotted it with a header of his own. Jumping well above his marker, Patrice Evra, Ronaldo placed the ball perfectly past keeper David De Gea.
The twin headers would account for the final tally, but Manchester United heads home to legendary Old Trafford with an all important away goal. The Champions League knockout round is played in a home-and-away aggregate scoring format, with the team scoring the most away goals progressing in event of a tie.
The finalists of last year’s Champions League took it to their Barclay’s Premier League opponents in the second half, but simply could not solve David De Gea.
It was a special night for the young Spanish national, who is a native of Madrid. He turned away eight attempts on goal including a sixty-first minute robbery of Real’s Fabio Coentrao. De Gea got his start in Athletico Madrid’s youth system, Real Madrid’s cross-town rival.
The two squads are set to meet again in Champions League play on March 5 in Manchester, England.
Other scores from around the Champion’s League: Italian club Juventus beat Scottish side Celtic 3-0, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund tied Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donestk 2-2, and Paris Saint-Germain took down La Ligua’s Valencia 2-1.
