Cristiano Ronaldo wasted little time getting on the scoresheet for Manchester United in their Champions League opener at Young Boys, on the occasion that the Portugal icon equaled the all-time appearance record in the competition.
After enjoying a dream return to Old Trafford on Saturday with a Premier League double against Newcastle in front of an adoring crowd, Ronaldo continued his hot form by striking just 13 minutes on his 'second debut' in the Champions League for the English giants in their match in Switzerland.
After a quiet opening, compatriot Bruno Fernandes curled an inch-perfect ball into the box with the outside of his boot, with Ronaldo getting on the end of it from around eight yards out.
Young Boys 'keeper David von Ballmoos got a touch but was unable to stop the ball spinning over the line as the visitors went 1-0 up.
Ronaldo scores the first goal of the Champions League season 😤 @brfootball
The strike was Ronaldo's 135th in the competition, on the occasion that he joined former Real Madrid teammate Iker Casillas as the tournament's record appearance makers on 177 matches.
177 - Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make his 177th UEFA Champions League appearance, equalling Iker Casillas as the player the with the most appearances in the competition's history. Staple. pic.twitter.com/mGgoZX14Hq
Ronaldo is now 15 goals clear of great rival Lionel Messi as the Champions League's all-time top scorer.
The the vast majority of that haul came at Real Madrid, where Ronaldo netted 105 times in the tournament.
The prolific star added a comparatively modest 14 to that tally in his three seasons at Juventus, and now has 16 goals in Europe's premier club competition across his two spells at Manchester United.
63 - In 68 Champions League appearances since turning 30, Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 63 goals - 35 more than any other player has scored aged 30 or older in Champions League history. Durable. pic.twitter.com/jUhUS95gnh
36 - Young Boys are the 36th different team Cristiano Ronaldo has scored against in the UEFA Champions League, with no player scoring against more (also Lionel Messi on 36). Collection. pic.twitter.com/xVk4EDZnnC
Having failed to help Juventus end their 25-year drought for Champions League glory, Ronaldo, 36, returned to United in a shock summer move when it seemed he could switch to bitter rivals Manchester City.
The Old Trafford giants haven't won Europe's biggest club competition since 2008 – when Ronaldo was part of the team which won a penalty shootout against Chelsea in Moscow.
The Portugal icon left for Real Madrid the following summer, with his last game for United coming in the 2009 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
Twelve years and four more Champions League titles later, CR7 is back on the scoresheet for his former club in his favorite competition once again.
