When Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Manchester United a year ago he almost certainly didn't expect to end up here, the star attraction in a Europa League fixture in Moldova in a matchbox stadium, dwarfed by crumbling Soviet-era flats.
Ronaldo's dream return has turned into a nightmare but it's one he couldn't escape. His ego would have been dented by the absence of Champions League interest and bruised by Erik ten Hag's decision to drop him.
But for injury to Marcus Rashford, Ronaldo might not have even been starting in the Zimbru Stadium. The locals were delighted he was. His name received the loudest cheer of all before kick-off by the 8,800-strong crowd.
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Ten Hag's decision to revert to his league team in this fixture was conditioned by the successive domestic postponements that have affected United's calendar. Ronaldo's goal is to ensure he's starting against Manchester City rather than in Moldova. Against Sheriff, he wanted to prove he was still United's sheriff.
His pace might be going, but his popularity will never diminish. As United made their way into the ground a young boy broke through security to hug his hero. When the teams lined up before kick-off another youngster held a banner declaring 'GOAT'. It didn't need a name attached to it.
Ronaldo endured a testing first half, shackled by the speedy Gaby Kiki, but when a penalty gave him the chance to end his five-and-a-half-hour wait for a goal he made no mistake. His 'Siu' celebration echoed around the Zimbru Stadium.
That essentially killed the game just before half-time, with Jadon Sancho having already given United the lead, and they could enjoy the kind of evening they wanted in what was new territory for them, a reminder that falling out of the Champions League doesn't just have an effect on the finances, but the glamour as well.
This might have nominally been a European away game, but it felt more like a pre-season friendly in the build-up. This was the club's first visit to Moldova and the fact they were playing this game in the capital, Chisinau, rather than the breakaway region of Transnistria, where Sheriff are based, was in their favour.
Sheriff aren't particularly popular in Moldova and although they did have support here, plenty of the fans in the home ends were also cheering for Ten Hag's side, as were the dozens and dozens of children on the balconies of those flats that dominated one flank of the ground, stretching high above the low stands.
Those United fans who had made the trip, determined to tick off another European country on the club's continental adventures, were the loudest voices inside the stadium, aside from the odd chant of 'Sheriff' and screams of excitement every time they got near David de Gea's goal.
There were a couple of early moments of hope for those wanting a moment to savour for Sheriff, but it didn't take long for United to settle into a rhythm and take control of the game.
Ronaldo saw two opportunities disappear, unable to stay clear of Kiki, one of nine players of African descent in Sheriff's league of nations team, but when United probed patiently they got their reward. From a throw on the right, the ball was moved across the field with Antony and Ronaldo and then Sancho and Bruno Fernandes exchanging passes to shift the Sheriff defenders, before Christian Eriksen injected some pace into proceedings.
His ball to Sancho opened up the play and the winger's turn in the box and low finish was composed. It was another team goal, a trait that is becoming familiar to Ten Hag's side. Goals haven't always been easy to come by but when they do arrive they are usually good on the eye.
Sancho's strike had echoes of his finish against Liverpool and was a timely reminder to Gareth Southgate of his abilities, having been left out of the England squad earlier on Thursday. If Ronaldo's celebration stole the limelight, Sancho's was the heart warmer. Having been given a pair of personalised shinpads by a young fan last week, he wore them here and removed them to show off after finding the back of the net.
United turned the screw just before half-time. Sancho thought he'd scored but saw Stjepan Radeljic clear off the line brilliantly, a piece of committed defending that drew the biggest cheers of the night for Sheriff. It didn't keep the count down for long, however.
Diogo Dalot had endured a shaky first half but his driving run drew a foul from Patrick Kpozo and Ronaldo drilled his penalty down the middle to ensure his wait for a goal this season doesn't extend into October. As he ran towards the corner flag, the locals waited for the iconic moment to capture.
That second goal turned the second half into a non-event, played at a tempo to match the feel of a pre-season friendly, and United were content to claim a third successive away win, the first time they've achieved that since December 2020.
De Gea made two routine saves and Fernandes forced Maxym Koval into action, but the most exciting moment came after full-time when a young fan raced onto the pitch to try and snare a selfie with Ronaldo before he made it to the sanctuary of the tunnel. United's security guards sped into action, but Ronaldo gave the young boy an affectionate pat on the cheek and defused the drama. Just as he'd done on the pitch.
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