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TURIN, Italy (Reuters) – Juventus clinched a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League when a brilliant assistant Cristiano Ronaldo set up Mario Mandzukic to give them a 1-0 win in Valencia on Tuesday. The Serie A champions struggled to defeat the Valencia defense until Joao Cancelo slipped the ball to Ronaldo in the Valencia area in the 59th minute of the Group H match. Ronaldo deceived Gabriel Paulista with a sophisticated footwork, which allowed him to score a low center to allow Mandzukic to score after two meters. Juventus lead the league with 12 points in five games while Valencia, third with five points, was eliminated after Manchester United, second, defeated the Young Boys 1-0.
"Valencia has the best defense of La Liga and it's not easy to score against them," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.
"We've been caught twice at the break, we need to be more lucid when we look for the second goal," he said, reiterating a criticism that he would face his team regularly.
Juventus needed a draw to qualify. She took little risk and the first half resulted in a shot shot. Ronaldo tested Neto on a quick shot that was easily handled by the Brazilian, while Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a brilliant save under the bar to prevent Mouctar Diakhaby's goalkeeper from scoring. Ronaldo, sent off at the first meeting between the group's squad, again tried a free kick after the break, but Neto again solved the problem. Diakhaby scored the goal in Juventus' net two minutes after Ronaldo's goal, but the Frenchman used his arm to deflect the ball in a free kick. Neto pushed back the shot to Paulo Dybala and Mandzukic was again closer to an inspired Ronaldo helper, the Portuguese controlling this time the ball on his chest and tying him in one stroke, while Juve returned at home.
"Our team has nine tenths of the same as last season, but we have improved the speed of our passes and our execution, and Ronaldo gives us more confidence in us," said Allegri.
(Report by Brian Homewood, edited by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
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