Press Association

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defends decision to not have Cristiano Ronaldo take penalty kick

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended his decision to let Bruno Fernandes and not Cristiano Ronaldo take a stoppage time penalty kick during Saturday's 1-0 loss to Aston Villa. 

Fernandes missed the shot, keeping United from walking away from the match with a point. 

"That is football," Solskjaer said, according to ESPN's Rob Dawson. "He will step forward every day of the week for the club and the team and sometimes it just doesn't go your way. It is such a fine line between heaven and hell."

The decision to not allow Ronaldo to take the penalty is a head-scratcher. The Portuguese striker re-joined United late last month after requesting a transfer from Juventus. He should always be the club's go-to man from the spot, but obviously, that doesn't appear to be the case. 

In an Instagram post after the loss, Ronaldo shared his disappointment with the defeat. However, he appeared to reiterate that it's a team effort, saying the club "must react immediately, get back on our feet and show our true strength."

The Red Devils have lost three of their last four games. They will look to get back to their winning ways when Villarreal visits Old Trafford on Wednesday. United is looking for its first win in the Champions League after losing its opening group game to the Young Boys.

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