Federico Macheda predicted his earth-shattering winner against Aston Villa on his Manchester United debut all the way back in 2009.
The Italian teenager came off the bench at Old Trafford with United drawing 2-2 with Martin O’Neil’s side, as they chased Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table
They slipped behind the Reds before their late kick-off on Saturday, April 5, with things going from bad to worse when a Ronaldo double was cancelled out by goals from Gabby Agbonglahor and John Carew.
The home crowd erupted in injury time, when the debuting Macheda came off the bench to bend in a wonderful winner past Brad Friedel to put United back in control of their title ambitions.
The Red Devils went on to win the league that season, but it was the winner by the Italian wonder kid that defined that season.
While it shocked the entire Premier League, Macheda predicted the extraordinary ending before he’d even set foot on the pitch.
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Federico Macheda predicted he’d score the winner against Aston Villa before kick-off
Hours before he curled in the winner on his United debut, Macheda told his teammate and fellow Italian Davide Petrucci that he would wow Old Trafford that day.
Macheda told Rivistaundici (translated) that the goal against Villa was a moment he’ll hold in his heart forever, although he saw his game-winning finish a mile away.
He admitted that he told his teammate that he would “make the stadium collapse” due to the fans’ reaction to his inclusion, which, given the roar of the Old Trafford faithful after his goal, was a pretty apt prediction.
“Even if it’s been many years now, I still remember the goal, the exultation, everything that came next. It was a unique day, an emotion that I will carry forever in my heart.
[On if he told Petrucci he’d make the stadium collapse]: “Very true. But I didn’t just say that to him, even to so many other friends of mine.
“That day I had such a conviction that I was certain that if I played I would also be able to score goals.”
His confidence was clearly high, and he backed it up with goals in his first and second games for United.
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In his next Premier League game, Federico Macheda scored the winner in the last minute again
To prove it wasn’t a fluke, Macheda did the exact same thing just a week later when he came off the bench against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
Just 46 seconds after replacing Dimitar Berbatov, Macheda deflected Michael Carrick’s shot past Craig Gordon, once against blowing the roof off the stadium with his last-minute winner.
Sadly, the Italian’s career at Old Trafford wouldn’t go as planned. Macheda didn’t work hard enough after his debut goals, scoring just twice more in the next four seasons as he shook off his “wonder kid” moniker.
He struggled in multiple loan spells before being released by United in 2014, as Macheda joined Cardiff City in a disastrous signing for the Bluebirds.