Manchester United entertained Juventus at Old Trafford earlier tonight with both teams looking to come away with maximum points from this UEFA Champions League encounter. The away team began the match on the front foot and took a deserved lead in the 17th minute courtesy of Paulo Dybala’s comfortable finish from close range. The Red Devils came up with a strong response towards the latter stages of the first half but couldn’t conjure up an equaliser before half-time.
Both teams fought hard in the second half but couldn’t add to the goal tally. The match ended 1-0 in Juventus’ favour as Massimiliano Allegri’s men left with all three points from Old Trafford. Let’s take a look at how each Manchester United player fared during the contest against Juventus.
GK: David De Gea – 7/10
The Spanish goalkeeper made some excellent saves during the game, but his heroics was not enough for United to bag any points from the game.
RB: Ashley Young -7.5/10
He was a wonderful outlet for the Red Devils in the second half but was also guilty of conceding some cheap fouls late in the game.
CB: Chris Smalling – 7/10
The English defensive ace put on a commanding performance at the heart of the United defence. However, his efforts were not enough to stop Juve from scoring.
CB: Victor Lindelöf – 6.5/10
The Swedish centre-back started the game a bit slow and was at fault in the lead up to Juventus’ opening goal. However, he came back strong and was arguably United’s best player in the second half.
LB: Luke Shaw – 7/10
He worked hard for the team and tried to link up with the front players as much as possible. However, he was caught out defensively during the latter stages of the game which helped Allegri’s side keep the ball away from their goal.
CM: Nemanja Matic -6/10
The Serbian did his defensive job by protecting the United backline. However, he couldn’t create much going forward.
CM: Paul Pogba – 6/10
The Frenchman showed glimpses of his brilliance in midfield, but he was often overrun by the Juve midfielders who showed more hunger for the ball. Pogba was unlucky not to score with his attempt on the night.
RM: Marcus Rashford – 5.5/10
It was all flash and no substance from the young Englishman. He needs to improve a lot during these big games if he wants to become a world-class talent.
CAM: Juan Mata – 6.5/10
The Spaniard was United’s best threat going forward. He made some outstanding touches in and around the Juve box but did not get the rub of the green in the attacking third.
LM: Anthony Martial – 5.5/10
The French winger used his pace to threaten the Juventus backline. However, he didn’t do enough to justify a start in Jose Mourinho’s first XI.
ST: Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
The Belgian centre-forward worked hard but failed to provide any threat in front of the Juve goal.
