Turin, Italy - Manchester United Women snapped their poor run of form with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Juventus in their final Women's Champions League group stage match on Wednesday, though the result wasn't enough to secure automatic qualification for the quarter-finals.
Jess Park proved the difference-maker at Juventus Stadium, unleashing a brilliant 18th-minute strike from the edge of the box that curled beyond goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin. The goal - United's first attempt of the night - settled Marc Skinner's side after a nervy opening where Phallon Tullis-Joyce had already been forced into a crucial save from Amalie Vangsgaard.
"Park's moment of quality separated two evenly-matched sides in a tense continental encounter," Skinner said post-match. "We showed the defensive resilience that's been missing recently."
The visitors grew into the game following Park's opener, with Melvine Malard testing Peyraud-Magnin again before halftime. United's compact defensive shape - a welcome change after conceding six goals in their previous two matches - largely nullified Juventus' threat, though questions lingered about Skinner's decision to delay substitutions until the final 15 minutes.
Controversy arose late when Elisabeth Terland appeared to be fouled in the Juventus penalty area, but neither the referee nor VAR intervened. The missed call ultimately proved irrelevant as United closed out their first clean sheet in nine matches across all competitions.
While the victory ensures United's progression to the knockout phase, they'll now face either OH Leuven or Atletico Madrid in a two-legged play-off for a quarter-final berth. The draw for these fixtures will take place on Thursday.
The result marks a positive end to United's group campaign after recent struggles, including a dramatic 3-3 comeback against Tottenham in the WSL and a heavy defeat to Lyon in Europe. Juventus, meanwhile, finish with just one loss from their six group matches.
Attendance: 6,641
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