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Juventus clinched a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League when a formidable assistant Cristiano Ronaldo charged Mario Mandzukic to give them a 1-0 win over 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 goal-center for Mandzukic to reach two meters. Juventus lead the league with 12 points in five games, while Valencia, third with five, was eliminated after Manchester United, second, defeated the Young Boys 1-0.
Football Football – Champions League – Group Stage – Group H – Juventus v Valencia – Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy – November 27, 2018 Cristiano Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini and his team-mates celebrate the end of the REUTERS / Massimo Pinca match
TURIN, Italy: Juventus clinched a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League when a brilliant assistant Cristiano Ronaldo charged Mario Mandzukic with giving 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 goal-center for Mandzukic to reach two meters. Juventus lead the league with 12 points in five games, while Valencia, third with five, 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 got caught at the break several times, we need to be more lucid when we look for the second goal," he said while reiterating a criticism that he would regularly compete against his team.
Juventus needed a draw to qualify and took little risk. The first half only generated a shot at goal for each side. Ronaldo tested Neto on a quick shot that was easily handled by the Brazilian. Juve goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a brilliant stop under the bar to prevent Mouctar Diakhaby's head from scoring at half-time. 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 close to another Ronaldo inspired help, the Portuguese controlling this time the ball on his chest and tying him in one stroke, while Juve was coming 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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