The Croatian tapped in his first Champions League goal since his brace against Real Madrid in last season’s quarter-final, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s low ball across the box. Mario Mandzukic scored his third goal in as many games for Juventus as they beat Valencia to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.
The Italian champions struggled to create much in the first half with a front three of Paulo Dybala, Mandzukic and Ronaldo unable to break the Spanish side down. However, they improved after the break and the result, coupled with Manchester United‘s late victory over Young Boys, means Valencia are eliminated.
The visitors had the best chance of the game just before half-time when defender Mouctar Diakhaby saw his header from a corner saved at point-blank range by former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
That miss was to prove costly when Mandzukic tapped in the winner in the 59th minute after Ronaldo had worked half a yard to put a teasing ball across the box. Valencia thought they had equalised a minute later but Diakhaby’s header was adjudged to have come off his hand.
The result means Juventus – beaten finalists in two of the last four years – have kept a clean sheet in six of their last seven Champions League group-stage games.
Source: BBC News
