Man Utd women's player ratings vs Juventus: Special Jess Park strike secures Champions League win - but Red Devils must settle for play-off berth

Jess Park's fantastic strike fired Manchester United to a 1-0 victory over Juventus on Wednesday, one that couldn't secure an automatic berth into the Women's Champions League quarter-finals for the Red Devils, but one that does give them more favourable seeding for the play-offs, where they will face either Atletico Madrid or OH Leuven.

There were just 18 minutes on the clock when Park picked out the top corner, getting her side off to a perfect start after a couple of frustrating outings, with last Wednesday's 3-0 defeat to Lyon having been followed up by a 3-3 draw at home to Tottenham on Sunday.

Despite coming into this game with just one win in their last five, there were no signs that the Red Devils were lacking in confidence, especially in the first half. Melvine Malard forced a good save out of Pauline Peyraud-Magnin before the half-hour mark and there was a chance for Park to net a brace, too, only for Estela Carbonell to make a great block at a vital moment.

There were some iffy moments at the back from United which threatened to open the door for Juve to level things up. Maya Le Tissier, Phallon Tullis-Joyce and Anna Sandberg - all such top performers this term - were guilty of sloppiness in possession that the Italian giants could've capitalised on. However, none of those mistakes were to be punished, with each member of that trio actually stepping in to mop up when a team-mate needed it, stopping Juve in their tracks.

Aside from those occasions, the home side struggled to really carve out opportunities to test Tullis-Joyce, with the American relatively untroubled in the visitors' goal throughout. Even a late onslaught of crosses and slightly ramped up pressure proved fruitless, with Juventus having to settled for seventh in the league phase table and, like United, a play-off berth. Both teams will find out the identity of their opposition on Thursday, when the draw for February's play-off matches is made.

GOAL rates United's players from the Allianz Stadium...

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Goalkeeper & Defence
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (6/10):
Had a couple of iffy moments and wasn't really tested, but made the saves needed to keep her clean sheet, with an early one to deny Vangsgaard the pick of them.
Dominique Janssen (7/10):
Slotted into a rather unfamiliar right-back position well and played her part in a decent defensive display.
Maya Le Tissier (7/10):
Had a sloppy moment early on that nearly let Juve break the deadlock, but made amends with a strong performance from there, which included an important tackle on Girelli after an error by Sandberg.
Gabby George (7/10):
Hasn't played a lot of football this season but, despite that, she continues to look sharp and assured whenever she gets on the pitch.
Anna Sandberg (6/10):
Couldn't really make her mark in the final third but stuck to her task at the back, sweeping up in an important moment when Tullis-Joyce lost the ball.

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Midfield
Hinata Miyazawa (7/10):
Solid on the ball and did plenty of work off it, too, to keep United on top for the most part.
Lisa Naalsund (6/10):
Didn't grab any headlines but did the necessary work on and off the ball to help her team to victory.
Jess Park (8/10):
Scored an outstanding goal and was United's most dangerous player throughout the evening.
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Attack
Melvine Malard (7/10):
Forced a good save out of Peyraud-Magnin in the first half and was involved in most of United's best play in and around the Juventus box.
Elisabeth Terland (5/10):
Struggled for service in a game of few chances at both ends.
Fridolina Rolfo (7/10):
Linked up nicely with Park on a few occasions, including to set her up to fire home the winning goal.

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Subs & Manager
Julia Zigiotti Olme (N/A):
Injected energy into midfield for the latter stages of the game.
Ella Toone (N/A):
Had some nice moments despite not having long on the pitch, with some incisive passes getting United up the pitch at important times.
Leah Galton (N/A):
Worked hard to help defend the lead after coming on for the final few minutes.
Simi Awujo (N/A):
Another late sub.
Marc Skinner (7/10):
Got the balance right between putting out a team that could win the game while also rotating a little after a demanding period of games. His subs refreshed the XI, too, and ensured Juve didn't pile on the pressure too much in the latter stages.

Goalkeeper & Defence

Midfield

Attack

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Subs & Manager