Juventus 1-2 Manchester United: 5 Takeaways from the game

Juventus came into the game sitting pretty on top of Group H after winning all three previous games and looked to confirm qualification to the next round tonight whereas Manchester United needed to get something out of the game. With Valencia winning earlier, there was pressure on Jose Mourinho's side to produce a result.

Manchester United started the match differently compared to the way they did at Old Trafford and looked to take the game to Juventus. Allegri's side had all the possession and saw more of the ball with United relying on counters to trouble the opposition. There were no genuine chances in the first half an hour of the game to trouble either goalkeeper.

Cuadrado hit a low driving shot from a half-chance drawing a good save from David de Gea which was immediately followed by a Sami Khedira's shot which hit the side of the post. Towards the end of the first half, Chiellini created a chance from a corner but could not score from it. Overall it was a half dominated by the Italian side and both the teams went into the break goalless.

The second half started frantically as Paulo Dybala tried a curler from outside the box, but his shot struck the crossbar. The deadlock broke after Cristiano Ronaldo came up with a brilliant volley to score his first goal in the Champions League for Juventus. Pjanic could have doubled the lead immediately, but De Gea denied him in goal.

Juventus were made to rue their missed chances when substitute Mata equalized for the visitors from a free kick. Minutes later from another free kick, Juventus scored an own goal and United walked away with all three points.

Let us have a look at the five takeaways from the game:

#5 United's fragile defence

Despite a win, United defended rather loosely

Manchester United has been poor defensively this season, and it reflected in the game as well. The United centre-back pairing of Smalling and Lindelof had a good game but the overall defence was not up to the mark.

In the first half, Juventus was better in every regard and created few decent chances of their own, the most noteworthy being the Sami Khedira's shot which hit the post. Lindelof looked better in parts in that half, but in the second half, the defence was torn apart.

Dybala hit the crossbar in the second half, but once Ronaldo opened the scoring, Juventus went rampant and could have scored three-four goals more only to be denied by David de Gea every time. Though United won at the end, it will be a long day against City in the weekend if the defence doesn't turn up that day.

#4 Crucial substitution by Mourinho

Manchester United have been criticized lately for their slow start to the games. Jose Mourinho's side sat back in the first half and allowed the opposition to dictate the play in their last few games. The previous fixture against Juventus was a testament to how poor United was and lacked the tenacity to attack against top opposition.

Playing against Juventus at Turin is a big ask. The Old Lady was the better side in the first half keeping more possession of the ball and created some good chances with Sami Khedira hitting the post.

The second half was no different from the first with Dybala hitting the crossbar this time. It looked like a matter of time when Juventus would break the deadlock and ignite some reaction from the Premier League side. It was more of sideways passing than any forward through balls. Even the crosses from the flanks disappointed often.

However, the game changed after Mourinho brought on Mata and Fellaini in the second half. Mata scored from a free kick equalizing for the visitors followed by a scrappy own goal by Alex Sandro. It could be a confidence booster going into the Manchester derby in the weekend.

#3 Sensational Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo had been struggling to score his first goal in the Champions League for Juventus. But for a top player like him, it was just a matter of time. Ronaldo hit a few shots in the first half, but they were all from outside the box.

In the second half, the momentum was with the home side as Juventus went on attack from the offset. Dybala hit the crossbar which followed a Cristiano Ronaldo special. Bonucci played a superb ball from the halfway line over the top of the United defence to the Portuguese who burst into space and smashed home a first time effort to net his first Champions League goal since his move from Real Madrid.

It was just a matter of time but a sad moment for Manchester United fans that it had to come against them from their former player. The goal added one more feather to an already illustrious career of a great footballer.

#2 Another second-half comeback win for United

Mourinho's team is leaving it late in matches.Â — Mourinho's team is leaving it late in matches.

Manchester United are leaving it late in their matches to get a result. Staring games slowly has hit Jose Mourinho's side hard early in the season, but lately, they have managed to come back in the second half to change the outcome of the matches. It's still unclear why a team needs to concede first to get a reaction out of players.

Against Juventus today, it was no different. The Italian side could have easily been out of sight until the final quarter of the game, but they missed chances galore. Allegri's team was made to rue their chances by a manager who is a master of getting results at times when he is least expected to.

Jose Mourinho bought on Mata, Fellaini, and Rashford in the second half which completely changed the shape of the game. A free kick near the penalty box saw Mata delicately curling it out of the reach of the goalkeeper followed by a scrappy own goal by Juventus where Fellaini had a significant role to play. Rashford could have made it three in the stoppage time, but his shot was saved.

Though it's a bit exciting to come back and win games but not always luck will be on United's side and they could be made to pay heavily for their mistakes sometime soon.

#1 Top spot in Group H up for grabs

Juventus had a golden opportunity to not only qualify to the knockout stages but guarantee the top spot in the group. Before the game, Jose Mourinho played down the importance of the fixture and focused more on the next two games against Valencia and Young Boys.

Allegri's side was desperate to make the top spot their own which was visible in their approach. After Khedira and Dybala hit the post and the crossbar, some might have thought in the Juventus camp that it was not their day after all. But when you have Ronaldo in your ranks, something would give in. The Portuguese came up with one of the best goals in the Champions League this season to give Italian side the lead, but it was cancelled out by Mata's free kick.

With the game heading towards a draw, Manchester United came up with a winner preventing Juventus from qualifying and also bolstering their chances of finishing as group leaders. The Red Devils are two points behind their opposition today, and it could go down to the last day to decide the outcome of the group.

Edited by Raunak J