IT all started with
Although his team lost 0-2, Munetsi received praise in the French media for the way he handled the pressure in his battle against Messi.
This coming weekend is also set to see another top Zimbabwean player -- Marvelous Nakamba -- bracing himself for one of his toughest matches, as a professional footballer.
The 27-year-old defensive midfielder, who has played for Nancy in
Aston Villa will be at Old Trafford for what promises to be an exciting English Premiership encounter against
Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or award winner, recently surprised the football world when he dumped Italian Serie A serial winners,
He moved back to the Red Devils, for an initial E15 million (£12,86m), after having been initially linked with cross-city rivals Manchester City.
Since rejoining United, Ronaldo has played in three games, scoring four times, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's revitalised side gun for their first English Premiership title, in eight years.
The 2012-13 season was the last time United won the league, under Sir
United are currently joint leaders, with
They will resume their title chase with a tricky home fixture against Nakamba's Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Villa will arrive with their tails up, after an impressive 3-0 win over Everton at
Manager
Their steady rise to the top will be severely tested when they face Ronaldo and company.
And, all Zimbabwean eyes will be on Villa, if manager
His brilliant performance, against Everton last Saturday, appears to suggest he will have a part to play in the showdown against the Red Devils.
"He replaced
"It was this change that ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in this tough fixture against Everton.
"Nakamba possesses an innate ability to disrupt the opposition and it was no different in this game.
"He consistently broke the play up and halted any Everton player that came his way.
"His defensive ability is never in question, what fans do have doubts about is his ability on the ball. In this game however, he seemingly put this issue to bed.
"He had a pass completion rate of 95.2% after completing 20 passes. He looked confident and assured and his passing was crisp and direct to his teammates.
"These passes weren't just lateral or backwards either, he completed five passes to the final third, which was the second highest number within the team, behind only
"He did an excellent job of not providing his teammates with possession but also progressing the team forward."
Smith has usually turned to Nakamba, for service, in matches against the heavyweight clubs, in which the
It will be interesting to see how Nakamba, if fielded, will handle the pressure in midfield tussles against the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Fred and
Having signed the likes of Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and
Last Sunday,
On Saturday, Nakamba will be hoping they can catch Ronaldo, and company, on their off day.
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