Manchester United 0-1 Juventus: 3 things we learned
Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford in Champions League matchday 3. Here are three takeaways.
This clash was billed as the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to his former club, Manchester United, where he first made his name as a top player. He wasn’t able to grab a goal but his side came away with the victory to put them on the verge of qualification to the knockout stages.
Jose Mourinho’s side were largely disappointing as the experienced Italian outfit nullified them for the majority of the game through a cohesive shape in both phases of play. Here are three things we learned from the Group H clash.
Juventus adapt without Mandzukic
The Croatian missed the game due to an ankle injury, but his absence wasn’t felt. Juventus’ attack was a lot more fluid without him as the front three regularly alternated positions as well as dropping deep into central positions. However, the lack of a relatively immobile focal point meant more complicated passages of play were needed to make use of their wing play.
Ronaldo has already shown in his brief spell at the Italian giants that he thrives playing off Mario Mandzukic as he drifts into the box from wide areas. His intelligent movement means he can take advantage of the attention reserved for the center-forward to ghost in undetected or utilize his usual height advantage against a full-back. This match was different because he was the main aerial threat, so he was closely monitored and play was often kept on the ground.
They were capable of transitioning quickly while also using possession effectively to break down United’s defensive shape. The versatility of the attack showed the level of Massimiliano Allegri’s coaching as well as the quality of the players at his disposal. United had Victor Lindelof to thank on a number of occasions as he nullified attacks through excellent anticipation and last-ditch tackles when it was needed.
Both Joao Cancelo and Alex Sandro were important elements of the attack as they marauded into dangerous positions while the midfield was able to contain any counters aimed at exploiting the space left behind these two. The full-backs linked up well with the wingers to cause problems for the opposition, with Cancelo, in particular, being just as comfortable in attacking areas. There was a gulf in quality between the two sides, especially in terms of how well-balanced they were across the team, which shows how far away United are from challenging in this competition while also providing a reason why Juventus are one of the favorites.
United ineffective in attack
They struggled to break through Juventus’ low block as they denied the chance of overloads on the flanks and blocked off passing lanes into the central areas. Juan Mata regularly found space between the lines but his teammates were often unable to find him. They often tried to force the issue which led to easy turnovers and chances on the counter-attack for the Old Lady.
The player in possession often had to force a pass due to lack of a clear option as well as not having enough movement ahead of them to make use of pockets of space. They improved slightly in the second half as there was more dynamism in attack while the full-backs pushed high to stretch the opposition horizontally and force the wingers back. Nonetheless, there was still a lack of fluidity among the forwards so they struggled to create clear opportunities even though they had spells of pressure where they had Juventus penned back.
Out of possession, there also wasn’t enough pressure on the ball as Juventus’ defense was able to move the ball around easily. This was probably part of Jose Mourinho’s game plan as he wanted to ensure his team had a solid defensive shape and reduce the threat when transitioning. However, this meant they couldn’t force turnovers high up the pitch to create high-quality chances while also doing little to stop a free-flowing opposition attack.
Romelu Lukaku was a willing runner in behind, but a combination of inaccurate passes and the experience of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini meant this was an ineffective method of attack. He often had to resort to dropping deep in order to receive possession as access into the box was largely denied through a strong defensive shape from the Turin side. Essentially he was isolated due to United’s attacking ineffectiveness, although his inability to hold up play effectively and play in his teammates led to a number of attacks breaking down.
Dybala continues to dazzle in Europe
La Joya picked up from where he left off against Young Boys as he struck in the first half to put his team ahead. This was his fourth goal in two Champions League games this season, and he was a constant menace in the final third. His willingness to drop deep also ensured his team didn’t have issues playing through the opposition in the buildup phase because he was an option for ball progression and retained possession well under pressure.
His goal showed his awareness in the box because he gambled with a late run behind Juan Cuadrado and the ball fell right into his path after Chris Smalling deflected the cross. He reduced in effectiveness as the match wore on with tiredness appearing to play a large part in that, but he was a major presence in the first half.
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The runs into the half space exploited the space between the centre-back and full-back well and last-ditch defending was often the only thing blocking him from creating or scoring another goal. He operated intelligently between the lines to ensure possession kept moving and his side were able to create overloads by drawing defenders out of their shape or moving possession to the other flank.
His understanding with Ronaldo is exciting for Juventus fans because they appear to be on the same wavelength based on this match. Their roles in the final third showed clarity of purpose as part of the attacking shape because they worked well in tandem to stretch the defence and create space for each other as well as their teammates. The absence of Mandzukic took away some of their ability to be direct but they more than made up for that with interplay, rotation and sharp movement.