Match Report: Man United beat Juventus 1-0 to secure seeded spot in draw for CL knockout play-offs | OneFootball

Manchester United beat Juventus 1-0 to secure a Champions League knock-out play-off tie with OH Leuven or Atletico Madrid, thanks to Jess Park’s first-half strike.

First-half

United started the much better of the two sides as they showed attacking intent from the start. Fridolina Rolfo was presented with an early chance but she could not beat Pauline Peyraud-Magnin with her effort.

It was then Juventus’ turn to test United’s defence and they nearly broke the deadlock when Amalie Vangsgaard almost capitalised on an error. However, goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce interevened to keep the ball out of the back of the net.

United needed just 18 minutes to take the lead and they did so in stunning fashion. Park, who has seamlessly slotted into life at the club since joining from Manchester City in the summer, got on the end of a ball from Rolfo before she curled it into the top corner, well past the reach of Peyraud-Magnin.

Melvine Malard almost doubled United’s advantage with a long-range attempt but she couldn’t quite hit the target.

Elisabeth Terland also had a sight of goal but dragged her effort just wide.

Park, who was enjoying a sensational game, embarked on a surging run deep into Juventus territory before she made the decision to shoot. Her strike was blocked for a United corner.

Though a single-goal advantage is a precarious position, the bigger takeaway for United would have been the quality of their performance in Turin.

Second-half

Unsurprisingly, United’s levels came down a level or two in the second half, with Marc Skinner’s side seemingly eager to protect the 1-0 scoreline.

However, the visitors still created the occasional opportunity to put the game beyond doubt. Park remained United’s most threatening player, once again forcing the Juventus goalkeeper into a save.

But it was skipper Maya Le Tissier at the back who stole the show during the second 45 minutes.

The England international swung into action to deny Juventus what looked like a certain goal after United had recklessly given the ball away. Moments later, Le Tissier was at it again, this time producing a brilliant tackle to thwart a promising attacking opportunity for Juventus.

Juventus’ foothold on the game increased as they stepped up their search for an equaliser but United had an answer for everything that was thrown at them.

There was a controversial moment when Terland was brought down inside the box by Juventus captain Cecilia Salvai. It looked like a stonewall penalty but the referee didn’t give it. VAR agreed with the decision.

Luckily for United, it didn’t matter too much as they held on for all three points. United have missed out on automatic quarter-final qualification, which is reserved for the top four teams. Instead, they will progress to the two-legged play-off round.

The draw will take place on Thursday at 12:00 GMT.

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