Jones: Ronaldo handled well

Phil Jones was happy with his containing job on Cristiano Ronaldo during Manchester United's European clash with Real Madrid.

Last Updated: 15/02/13 at 09:41 Post Comment

Phil Jones: Helped United to keep Ronaldo relatively quiet

Phil Jones: Helped United to keep Ronaldo relatively quiet

United travelled to Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday aware that the greatest threat to their UEFA Champions League ambitions would come from a familiar face.

Ronaldo, who spent six years at Old Trafford before leaving for Spain in 2009, boasts a remarkable scoring record at Real and United knew they had to shackle him if they were to keep the hosts quiet.

Sir Alex Ferguson suggested in the build-up to the game that Brazilian full-back Rafael would be charged with the tasked of tracking Ronaldo, but that responsibility ultimately fell to Jones.

Ronaldo was able to power home a trademark header, hauling Real level in a game which ended 1-1, but Jones feels both he and United can be pleased with their efforts in the Spanish capital.

He said: "The gaffer said you've got to be wary of him and if he makes runs inside you've got to follow him.

"Once or twice he came off and it was a bit of a wake-up call, but I think we dealt with it well.

"All over the pitch we were superb defensively. It was about staying solid as a unit."

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