English FA Premiership/ Reading 1 Manchester Utd 1: There is no respite for Cristiano Ronaldo. Having summoned the perfect response to the vitriol hurled towards him at the Madejski Stadium, he returns to his homeland tomorrow night where another hot reception awaits.

English supporters will not allow the young Portuguese to forget the part he played in Wayne Rooney's sending off in the World Cup quarter-final, and Benfica fans haven't forgotten on his last appearance at the Stadium of Light Ronaldo responded to incessant barracking by raising his middle finger to them.

A one-match ban from Uefa followed but Benfica's partisan crowd, keen to witness another Champions League victory, are likely to exact punishment of their own. But how Ronaldo reacts in the face of such provocation won't worry Alex Ferguson. The hostile reception that has greeted his mercurial winger's arrival at Charlton, Watford and now Reading has brought the best out of Ronaldo.

He was outstanding on Saturday, using his full repertoire of tricks and flicks to bewitch the Reading defence before salvaging a draw for United with a sublime solo goal. He could have celebrated the strike by cupping his hand to his ear, placing a finger over his lips or running in front of the home fans who had heckled his every touch. Instead the only gesture he made was towards his team-mates, throwing his hands in the air as if to demand more from those around him.

It seems the 21-year-old taking the field in Portugal tomorrow is much better equipped to deal with the invective raining down from the stands than he was in December last year. "He gets a lot of stick from the fans so he's had to become stronger," said Reading captain, Graeme Murty.

The Reading right-back, who had been tasked with marking Ronaldo when he switched to the left flank in the second half, chose not to swap shirts with the Portugal international at the final whistle - part of a team decision not to treat Ferguson's side with too much respect - but in truth even in the tunnel he would probably have struggled to get within touching distance. Ronaldo's darting, incisive runs had left Reading chasing shadows whenever he picked up possession.

"You've got to try and get close to him but you can't because his feet are that quick," said Murty, "and when you do get close he lays it off and goes in behind because he's rapid as well."

Without Ronaldo's performance and intervention 17 minutes from time Steve Coppell's side might well have emerged with three points. Superbly organised and willing to attack in numbers, Reading, on this evidence, are destined for much more than Premiership survival.

Coppell hailed the point as a "small gift", which in many ways was an apt description of Reading's goal. Gary Neville needlessly handled three minutes after the interval, granting Kevin Doyle, a lifelong United fan, the opportunity to convert from the penalty spot, which he took to increase his goal tally for the season to three. That is one more than Rooney, whose desperation to rediscover his touch after spending time out through injury and suspension was hindered by Ferguson's decision to start Louis Saha on the bench.

Rooney was left isolated and United's five-man midfield tended to go sideways rather than forwards. United's season is in danger of doing the same. Having won their opening four matches, they have now picked up only one point from a possible six, allowing Chelsea to move ahead and Liverpool and Arsenal to make up considerable ground.

Not that the beginning of autumn is the time to form opinions on where teams will finish, according to the Reading boss.

Coppell believes it would be unwise to read much into results until the middle of next month. With Reading facing Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool during that period, as well as second-place Portsmouth, his circumspection is understandable although this display suggests his side have nothing to fear.

• Guardian Service