MX23RW : Wednesday, March 12 09:23:28| >> :60:66:66:
[monks data]
Attendance: 73,946
Manchester United logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Oct 23, 2018 at 8pm UK
 
Juventus logo

0-1

FT(HT: 0-1)
Dybala (17')

Manchester United were always eyeing second place before Juve loss – Mourinho

United are five points behind Juventus in Group H and visit Turin in the next round of matches.

Jose Mourinho claimed Manchester United were always fighting for second place in Group H after a home Champions League loss to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus.

Paulo Dybala’s 18th-minute goal settled the contest at Old Trafford, with Juventus enjoying the majority of possession and chances but United improving in the second half, when Paul Pogba hit the post.

The result leaves United five points adrift of Juventus ahead of their visit to Turin next month and two points ahead of Valencia, who Mourinho described as his team’s real rivals.

The Portuguese said: “We played against one of the biggest, really biggest candidates, to win the Champions League and we did the possible.

“We could get the different result, especially because of the way we played in the second half. We didn’t especially because Mr (Leonardo) Bonucci, Mr (Giorgio) Chiellini, they could go to Harvard University to give classes about how to be a central defender. Absolutely fantastic.

“It is a team that has everything, they have talent everywhere. Of course Cristiano, Dybala, the talent they have in attack, but the quality all over the pitch and a really difficult match.

“In the first half they were in control by having a lot of the ball, to frustrate us, to frustrate our intention to be positive.

“In the second half we were more aggressive, big effort by the boys, same team that played two days ago, not really attacking solutions on the bench to try, no (Marouane) Felllaini to change the direction of the game.

“I’m happy with the players. Since the draw we knew it would be a fight with Valencia for the second position and that is what we are going to try.”

Mourinho was frustrated by United’s summer transfer dealings and cited Juve’s ambition in the market as the reason they are among the favourites for the biggest titles.

Asked how far away United are from the Italians, Mourinho said: “A bit far. Juventus are champions (of Italy) for seven years in a row, two Champions League finals in the last four or five years and (they’re) not happy with what they have, they want more.

“They had (Gonazlo) Higuain, (Mario) Mandzukic, Dybala, they want more. They want Ronaldo. They had (Andrea) Barzagli, Chiellini, (Daniele) Rugani, they are not happy, they want more, they want Bonucci, and they go for the best players in the world.

“A big, big club with a big past but with also a big desire to have a big future and everything they put there to try to win, I don’t say the Champions League, I think to win the treble, that’s what they want.”

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri was pleased with the way his team played to their strengths to put themselves in a virtually unassailable position.

He said: “We knew that we would have to play a very good game from a technical point of view because we knew that playing against a team like United, who are very physical, very good on the high balls, we couldn’t really afford to engage in that kind of physical game.

“I thought we played a fantastic first half, we probably should have scored a second goal.

“In the second half, we did give the ball away on a few occasions but we played well, it was a great game to watch.”

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Eleanor Crooks, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '38456765-d67f-4ab7-8157-9e060cf31e54');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:match-reports,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Manchester United were always eyeing second place before Juve loss \u2013 Mourinho'});

ID:339452: cacheID:339452:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:8732:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
QLiverpool870121
QInter Milan861119
QBarcelona861119
QArsenal861119
QAtletico860218
QB. Leverkusen851216
QAston Villa851216
QLille851216
9Real Madrid850315
10AC Milan850315
11Atalanta843115
12Dortmund850315
13Bayern850315
14PSV842214
15Benfica841313
16Feyenoord841313
17PSG841313
18Monaco841313
19Brest841313
20Juventus833212
21Celtic833212
22Man City832311
23Sporting Lisbon832311
24Brugge832311
25Dinamo Zagreb832311
26Stuttgart831410
27Shakhtar82157
28Bologna81346
29Red Star82066
30Sturm Graz82066
31Sparta Prague81164
32RB Leipzig81073
33Girona81073
34Salzburg81073
35Slovan Bratislava80080
36Young Boys80080


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!