Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed a successful return to Old Trafford, as Juventus defeated Manchester United 1-0 on Tuesday to take control of Group H in the Champions League.
Ronaldo assisted on the game’s only goal, slotting a cross into Paulo Dybala who easily converted the chance in the 17th minute.
Ronaldo Appreciates Warm Welcome from Fans
The result kept Juventus perfect in Champions League play this season. Not only do the Italian champions have nine points after three games, but they have yet to concede a goal in the competition.
After the match, Ronaldo was thrilled both for the result and the excellent reception he got from the Manchester crowd, which welcomed him back with open arms.
“An important victory in a very emotional match for me,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram after the match. “It was great playing at Old Trafford again. Thanks to all the fans for the reception and support.”
While being clearly outplayed at home might make Man United fans question how far their team can go in the Champions League, the Red Devils are still in position to make it through to the knockout rounds. They currently sit in second place in Group H with four points, ahead of Valencia (two points) and Young Boys (one).
Barcelona Takes Lead in Group B
Barcelona also found success against a traditional European power on Wednesday, beating Inter Milan 2-0 in order to take the lead in Group B. Rafinha opened the scoring on a volley in the 32nd minute, while Jordi Alba’s 83rd minute goal put the game out of reach.
The win showed that Barcelona might be just fine without Lionel Messi, who sat out the match with a broken arm that he suffered in the team’s Saturday win over Sevilla. Messi is expected to miss three weeks, according to Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde.
The Spanish side now stands atop Group B with a perfect nine points, while Inter remains in second place with six. The two teams are highly likely to qualify for the knockout rounds, especially after Tottenham and PSV Eindhoven played to a 2-2 draw today, leaving each on only one point so far.
Tottenham appeared to be headed for a win that would keep them in range of second place in the group. But goalkeeper Hugo Lloris came out of the box to take out Hirving Lozano before he could put a shot on goal in the 79th minute, drawing a red card. Down a man, Tottenham conceded a late goal to Luuk de Jong that tied the match at two goals apiece.
So far, most of the Champions League favorites have played to form in the early going. Borussia Dortmund looked overpowering in a 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid Wednesday that maintained their perfect start, while Real Madrid did just enough to score a 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen, allowing them to remain tied atop Group G with Roma. Bayern Munich also continued their hot start, beating AEK 2-0 to stay undefeated in Group E.
According to William Hill, Manchester City remains the top choice to win the Champions League at 4/1 odds. Other likely winners include Barcelona (5/1), Juventus (11/2), Liverpool (8/1), and Bayern Munich (8/1).
