Ronaldo nets 1st Europa League goal as United beats Sheriff

DUBAI: Cristiano Ronaldo scored the first Europa League goal of his career to help Manchester United rebound from an opening loss in the second-tier competition with a 2-0 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday. The Champions League record scorer converted from the spot after Jadon Sancho gave United a 1-0 lead in Moldova. It was the 37-year-old Ronaldo’s first goal of the season and 699th in club competition.

After failing to secure a transfer to a club in the Champions League — where he’s scored 141 goals — the Portugal striker had to settle for playing in the Europa League for the first time since 2002 with Sporting Lisbon. Ronaldo was given a second straight start, including last week’s 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, after he was used as a substitute in four straight wins by United in the Premier League. Last weekend’s Premier League games were postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Arsenal, another favorite of the competition, had their game against PSV Eindhoven postponed from Thursday to Oct. 20 because of limited police resources in London during preparations for the queen’s state funeral. Though Chelsea’s Champions League game against Salzburg went ahead Wednesday, the visit of a large group of PSV fans traveling from the Netherlands proved more challenging.

Feyenoord recorded their first win by routing Sturm Graz 6-0, Freiburg won 3-0 at Olympiacos for their second victory, and Monaco were upset 1-0 at home by Hungary’s Ferencváros. In the third-tier Europa Conference League, Ukrainian club Dnipro-1 registered a 3-1 victory at Apollon Limassol, and Alkmaar beat Vaduz 4-1. EUROPA LEAGUE Ronaldo shot his spot kick straight, sending Sheriff goalkeeper Maxym Koval to his right six