United, Juventus Through Despite Defeats By Valencia, Young Boys

13th December 2018

Manchester into Monday's draw for the last 16, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Porto all potential opponents

Paul Pogba of Manchester United evades Geoffrey Kondogbia of Valencia during the UEFA Champions League, Group H football match between Valencia CF and Manchester United on December 12, 2018 at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain.PHOTO/AFP
Paul Pogba of Manchester United evades Geoffrey Kondogbia of Valencia during the UEFA Champions League, Group H football match between Valencia CF and Manchester United on December 12, 2018 at Mestalla stadium in Valencia, Spain.PHOTO/AFP
SUMMARY
  • Manchester United squandered the chance to win their Champions League group on Wednesday after a lacklustre display got what it deserved in a 2-1 defeat to Valencia
  • United made Valencia look like world-beaters in the opening 45 minutes. They were slow in possession and just as sluggish out of it. Frustration bubbled and burst, as a handful of tackles flew in and missed
  • Guillaume Hoarau scored in either half as Young Boys inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Juventus in their final Champions League group game on Wednesday in Switzerland but the Italians still took top spot in Group H after Manchester United lost by the same scoreline to Valencia
  • Ronaldo started the final group match despite Juventus already having secured a berth in the knock-out round as coach Massimiliano Allegri wanted to ensure his side avoided being drawn against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain in the next round

VALENCIA, Spain- Manchester United squandered the chance to win their Champions League group on Wednesday after a lacklustre display got what it deserved in a 2-1 defeat to Valencia.

Already through to the last 16, Jose Mourinho made eight changes at the Mestalla, including a return for Paul Pogba, but United were largely outplayed by their Spanish opponents, who sit 15th in La Liga.

Carlos Soler's driven shot and a Phil Jones own-goal put Valencia two up early in the second half before United came alive in the final minutes after Marcus Rashford's header gave them brief hope.

Perhaps Mourinho and his players had assumed Juventus would win away at Young Boys but the Italians' surprise 2-1 loss meant United had first place within their grasp.

Instead, they go through as runners-up into Monday's draw for the last 16, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Porto all potential opponents.

Porto would probably be the favoured pick but on this evidence, they might feel the same about United. After all, Valencia also made changes, eight of them, with their fate resigned to dropping into the Europa League.

They had failed to score in six of their last eight Champions League games while poor form in La Liga has their coach Marcelino fighting for his future.

After drawing against Sevilla last weekend, their fans swung white handkerchiefs in the air to demonstrate their dissatisfaction.

Pogba, left out against Arsenal and Fulham, started here but contributed little, save for a glaring miss in the first half. Eric Bailly also came in but his partnership with Jones was rocky all night.

United made Valencia look like world-beaters in the opening 45 minutes. They were slow in possession and just as sluggish out of it. Frustration bubbled and burst, as a handful of tackles flew in and missed.

Valencia were excellent. Geoffrey Kondogbia and Dani Parejo both went close early on before another pinball session in the penalty area saw the ball land at the feet of Soler. He looked up, picked his spot and drove into the far corner.

Michy Batshuayi should have made it two but headed over and Mouctar Diakhaby could have had a penalty when denied a simple finish by the clambering Marouane Fellaini.

United had the occasional opening, the best of them falling to Pogba, who somehow stabbed wide after Fellaini's header offered him a tap-in from two yards. The flag of the assistant referee spared his blushes but replays showed he was onside.

Jones marched off at half-time shaking his head, having berated his midfield for failing to track back, but the interval brought no relief.

Almost as soon as they restarted, Romelu Lukaku misread a Bailly pass. Just as others had before, Bailly threw his arms up in frustration.

Soon after it was two, Soler's pass landing between Sergio Romero and Jones, with Batshuayi on the chase. Jones panicked, met the ball on the slide, and pushed it past his approaching goalkeeper and into his own net.

There were 43 minutes left but a United comeback never looked likely until Rashford, on as a substitute, headed home in the 87th minute. Jesse Lingard had done well to keep the ball alive before Ashley Young supplied the cross.

Juan Mata could even have equalised. Pogba's scooped ball over the top left him alone in front of goal but he missed the ball as he tried to volley on the turn. A point would have been more than United deserved.

 Juventus loss

Guillaume Hoarau scored in either half as Young Boys inflicted a 2-1 defeat on Juventus in their final Champions League group game on Wednesday in Switzerland but the Italians still took top spot in Group H after Manchester United lost by the same scoreline to Valencia.

The Swiss champions proved too hot to handle for the Cristiano Ronaldo-led Italians who suffered their first away defeat this season in freezing temperatures in Bern.

France forward Hoarau slotted in the first after half an hour from the spot at the Stade de Suisse blasting in the second after 68 minutes to lift spirits of his already eliminated side who finish bottom of the group.

Paulo Dybala -- who scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 home game in Turin -- came off the bench just after the second goal and pulled one back for Massimiliano Allegri's side ten minutes from time and had a second disallowed in injury time.

Juventus finish top of Group H on 12 points with United on ten, Valencia on eight and Young Boys with four.

Ronaldo, the record scorer in the elite European competition with 120 goals, started the final group match despite Juventus already having secured a berth in the knock-out round as coach Massimiliano Allegri wanted to ensure his side avoided being drawn against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain in the next round.

But veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini was rested ahead of next weekend's Turin derby in Serie A, as Allegri feared a potential injury on the artificial pitch in Switzerland.