Romelu Lukak Giorgio Chiellini Man Utd Juventus Champions LeagueGetty

Mourinho drools over Juve centre-back duo: Chiellini & Bonucci could teach at Harvard University!

Juventus centre-backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci could lead a masterclass in defending at Harvard University, Jose Mourinho said after the Italian side beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Champions League.

Paulo Dybala's goal 17 minutes into the game at Old Trafford on Tuesday proved enough for an away win as United were unable to find an equaliser.

Although Mourinho was happy with his side's efforts in an improved second-half, he felt the strength and expertise of the visitors' veteran defenders made it an impossible job.

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"Things were not coming [off], but everybody tried, everybody was strong, everybody was strong mentally to try until the end," he said at a press conference.

"Juventus felt it and, instead of the control they had in the first half, in the second half they defended and they ended the game with an extra central defender to add to the amazing Chiellini, the amazing Bonucci.

"Mr Bonucci and Mr Chiellini could give some Harvard University classes about how to be a central defender. A team with everything - they have talent everywhere, all over the pitch. So it was a really difficult match for us.

"I thought before the game, and during the game, I thought that we could take something out of this game, but it was not possible. We didn’t manage to score but I'm happy with the players."

Although he acknowledged that Massimiliano Allegri's team are superior to his own, he felt a draw would have been a fair result based on his team's hard work.

"Juventus have a different level of quality and stability and experience and knowhow and at the base of the team, they have Bonucci and Chiellini," he said. 

"That’s the base that allows them to play with the freedom that they play in attack. With Cristiano [Ronaldo], with Dybala, with people creating. Lose the ball? No problem, we are here, so I think probably the effort of the boys would deserve a goal in the last minute of the second half. We deserved a draw, a point, but it was not possible. But I have no complaints with my boys. I have a positive feeling towards their effort and on Sunday [against Everton], we have another match to think about."

United are second in their Champions League group and five points behind Juventus after three games, and Mourinho is aware that first place may be beyond his team.

“Since the draw, we've known it's going to be a fight with Valencia for the second position and that is what we are going to try [to do]. We knew that since the beginning.

"We have four points, three matches to go. In every match we can get points like today - we could get one. But I believe this is going to the last match in Valencia which is a normal situation when the group has a super team like Juventus and two good teams like us and Valencia.”

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