Didn’t expect him to score three goals: Ralf Rangnick on Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Spurs

Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick said United were aggressive enough in the vital moments to achieve a crucial 3-2 win over top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo produced an incredible hat-trick to lift Manchester United into fourth place as Tottenham Hotspur were beaten in a thriller.

Rangnick was impressed with the Portuguese’s energy, along with the reaction from his side after last week’s loss in the derby.

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“It was exactly the kind of reaction that we expected from the team after the poor performance in the second half against City. Coming back after two equalisers also showed the right mentality. We were really aggressive in those moments and also defended well in the last seven, eight minutes and in the end, I think we deserved to win,” Rangnick told MUTV.

Rangnick also revealed the late call to start Ronaldo.

He said: “Well I didn’t expect him to score three goals, but I expected him to score. That’s why I decided to play him, although he only resumed training on Thursday. His training session on Thursday was so good that’s why I decided to play him from the start and not have him on the bench. In the end, it was the right decision.”

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With the treble against Spurs, Ronaldo has lifted himself on top of FIFA’s all-time scorers’ list.

The first win in three games lifted Manchester United to fourth with 50 points.

Spurs are five points back in seventh, having played two matches fewer.