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What we saw on Tuesday at Old Trafford showed why Juventus could win the Champions League this season and why Manchester United would not do it.
There was a huge gap between the two teams: United is 10th in the Premier League for a reason, while Juve is one of the best teams in Europe and has everything you need for succeed.
The Italian champions have a good goalkeeper, two lateral defenders who look like flying machines and two rocks in the center, which are probably the best defensive partnership of the Champions League this season.
They have control and composure in the middle of the field, as well as someone like Blaise Matuidi, who is willing to do some of the work on the donkeys. Then there is the brilliant talent of Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cross their team and it's as complete as any other team in the Champions League this season.
Juventus is so good, I do not think that she has an excellent chance to go far in the competition, I actually think she's going to win. For me, it is the team to beat.
Maybe they do not always play nice football, but they know how to score goals, how to defend themselves and how to play.
In addition to that, they have Ronaldo – a star player who always delivers, and someone who will make you win things.
They signed Real Madrid this summer to make them win the Champions League for the first time since 1996. On Tuesday night, it was an example of why this decision could bear fruit.
People were wondering why Dybala had so much space in the first half, but that's because United focused on Ronaldo's decision.
His mere presence meant that when the balloon approached the surface, the defenders marked him or watched him. This left Dybala away several times, not only when he scored the winning goal.
Juve a class act at the back too
For the first 60 minutes, Juve's strikers were sensational with their movement and the positions they took, but the Italian champions also defended brilliantly in the finals.
Juve has never lost her composure, nor her class. Player for player, I thought it was the strongest team when I looked through the lineups before the kickoff, and no effort on the part of United could fill this quality gap.
To hurt the big players, it takes quality and magic in the last third, and on Tuesday, United had none.
They have hardly ever had access to any of their top three services, and when they did, they never seemed to create an obvious chance.
Paul Pogba hit the post from scratch, but there was never a single moment in the game where I thought United would score.
Mourinho was right to praise Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci afterwards, as the Juventus defenders organized a master class.
In the end, United players probably thought that it was useless to play the ball forward, as these two were still there to eliminate any danger.
United lacks quality but not spirit
Juve was at a different level, but there were positives for United – there was no problem with their efforts, camaraderie or wit.
Yes, they were well beaten, but it was not for lack of testing, lack of ethics on the part of the team or the fact that their players did not want to put their bodies in danger.
Against Juve, I saw the same determination that United showed in defeating Newcastle and in a draw with Chelsea, but they lacked the little quality they needed to do the same with a very good team.
That's why I do not think you can be too critical of United – I've tried not to be too negative in my comments on BBC Radio 5 live – and just say that they were beaten by a better camp.
Sometimes, you simply have to accept it when that happens, rather than looking for someone to blame.
Pogba is usually in the crosshairs every time United loses, but that defeat is not his fault.
He scored both of United's best efforts at goal and hinted at his passing abilities, but he spent most of the first hour of the game protecting his back, moving from box to box and staying in motion .
In doing so, he showed the kind of discipline that people were asking him for – and I actually think he did the same thing against Newcastle and Chelsea.
One in seven wins – but it's not a crisis
Romelu Lukaku played eight scoreless matches and his performance against Juventus was subsequently questioned.
But if you want to know why he did not do too much on Tuesday, you have to recognize the caliber of the central defenders against whom he was playing and also ask him if he got the good service – and no, he does not. Did not do it.
I do not remember either an obvious chance for him against Juve or Chelsea this weekend.
Of course, he has to do more for himself, because in United's situation, they needed their strikers to win the match in the same way that Ronaldo and Dybala did for Juve.
But the same could be said of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford, who also did very little.
I think Lukaku's levels have dropped slightly, especially when compared to the player we saw at the World Cup in Russia.
But I do not see any other option for United before leading the line as he does. I think they need to persevere and hope return to form.
Of course, Mourinho continues to receive criticism, but I said before the game that United should stay with him, and that defeat does not change that.
United have only won one of their last seven games, but I do not think this is a crisis, because the players have given everything and, if they play at the same level as against Newcastle and Chelsea, their results in Premier League will improve. they will come out of their group of the Champions League.
Supporters must accept that any manager in charge of this United team would probably have been beaten by Juventus. Mourinho must therefore be allowed to continue, starting Sunday against Everton.
It is important for United to react strongly this weekend as they have to start climbing the Premier League table.
Getting fourth place should be their goal now because they are not going to win the Premier League or the Champions League, and they have to focus on getting back into the competition next season.
Phil Neville was speaking to Chris Bevan of BBC Sport.
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