4th March, 2013
Cristiano Ronaldo and the Galacticos of Real Madrid touched down in Manchester last night ahead of their crunch Champions League second-leg tie with Manchester United tomorrow.
The former United star, who will play at Old Trafford for the first time since his £80 million world-record move to Madrid in 2009, was given a rousing welcome by a legion of fans at Manchester Airport.
But the Portuguese star must have forgotten how cold Manchester is in March, as he emerged in the arrivals lounge sporting only a pair of shorts and a pair of pulled up socks to keep warm against the cold.
Tomorrow’s tie sits firmly in the balance after United came away with a 1-1 draw from the Bernabeu three weeks ago.
Ronaldo cancelled out a first-half Danny Welbeck goal but Sir Alex Ferguson will feel confident going up against a familiar foe, Jose Mourinho.
Madrid, who were experiencing a bit of a poor patch at the time, have warmed up for the tie in perfect fashion, with a pair of victories in five days over their old enemy, Barcelona, first in the Copa del Rey and then in the league on Saturday.
United haven’t fared too badly themselves recently, and find themselves 15 points clear of their near neighbours Manchester City in the league.
Ronaldo will be given a very warm welcome back at Old Trafford, but is unsure of how he will react if he does manage to grab a goal against his former team.
“I’m sure the United fans would receive me well. If I score against them it would be spectacular, a beautiful sensation,” he said.
“I can’t say what I’ll do. It would be something spontaneous, but I’d love to be in that situation.
“In any case, it would be a good sign if we progress and I score. Real Madrid’s intention is to win.”