Andres D’Alessandro once admitted he was relieved to be substituted after facing Cristiano Ronaldo at his peak.
The former Argentina international recalled the experience during a 2022 podcast, reflecting on a match against Manchester United during Cristiano Ronaldo’s second spell at Old Trafford.
What was meant to be a tactical masterplan quickly turned into survival mode. D’Alessandro did not forget the lesson.
Andres D’Alessandro recalls facing Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United
Speaking on Cortes do Flow Sport Club podcast, Andres D’Alessandro said: “We played against Manchester, against Cristiano. Two lines of four, I was playing on the left and Cristiano on the right.
He added: “During the week, the coach told us, ‘We’re going to double-team him. You wait for Cristiano and our full-back stays free.’
“They played with two strikers, so it was basically man-to-man marking.”
The plan was clear. Compress the space and limit Ronaldo’s ability to isolate defenders. In practice, it proved far more complicated.
Andres D’Alessandro was thankful to be subbed after Cristiano Ronaldo’s masterclass
Andres D’Alessandro continued: “The full-back on the other side was left unmarked, and ours would wait on the side where the ball was. Cristiano scored two goals in the first half. It didn’t work out very well.
“… I would close him down on the wing, and he’d cut inside. I’d close the inside and he’d go down the outside. He’d chip the ball over me, over the full-back.”
“I’ve never seen anyone so agile, so fast. Two goals in the first half. The coach took me off at half-time. I told him, ‘Thank you. Thank you!'” D’Alessandro concluded.
Ronaldo’s movement and acceleration dismantled the defensive scheme within 45 minutes. For D’Alessandro, the half-time whistle came as a form of mercy.
The anecdote underlines the level Ronaldo maintained even during his return to Manchester United, where flashes of his trademark explosiveness continued to trouble opponents.
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