Jose Mourinho: Manchester United 'one final' from knockout place

Published on: 08 November 2018

Mourinho clashed with Juventus players after cupping his ear to the home fans

Manchester United have "one final" to win against Young Boys if they are to reach the Champions League knockout stages, says manager Jose Mourinho.

United stunned Group H leaders Juventus with a 2-1 win in Turin on Wednesday, leaving them two points above Valencia in second with two games remaining.

They will progress if they beat Young Boys at Old Trafford on 27 November and Valencia fail to beat Juventus.

"A win against Young Boys could do it," said Mourinho.

"Let's hope we can qualify. We thought we were going to have two finals to play. Now we have one final."

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning volley to put Juventus ahead, before Juan Mata levelled in the 86th minute and Alex Sandro turned into his own net moments later.

Mourinho clashed with home players after the final whistle after the Portuguese cupped his ear to fans at Allianz Stadium.

Serie A champions Juventus remain top of the group with nine points while Valencia, who United face in their final group game, sit third after beating Young Boys in the early kick-off.

"A point or three would have changed little for Juventus, but three points makes a big difference to us," added Mourinho, who tipped Juve to win the competition before the match.

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"It is a big victory for us, not just because we needed the points but because it was away from home against an amazing team.

"They are a fantastic team with an amazing record at home. We had to come and not feel inferior. They have more potential than us. Everybody knows their ambitions."

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri was disappointed his side were unable to hold on to their lead, losing a Champions League group stage game at home for the first time since December 2009.

"It's a disappointing defeat, because the team played well," he said.

"We need to improve our finishing, because we never manage to finish games off when we're in control."

Source: bbc.com

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