Drab United add to Mourinho’s record

– Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho boasted about his Champions League record after Marouane Fellaini’s injury-time winner fired his side into the last-16 with a 1-0 win over Young Boys at Old Trafford.

The three-time European champions sealed their place in the knockout stages with a slice of fortune, when Fellaini (right) controlled the ball with his hand before firing into the far corner, provoking Mourinho to throw a box of water bottles to the ground in a mixture of joy and relief.

“For some of my lovers, for those who like stats, 14 seasons in the Champions League, 14 times qualify through the group phases,” said Mourinho on his personal record as boss of Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid as well as United.

“Never one of my teams stays behind the group phase. The season I didn’t play Champions League, I won the Europa League.”

There was little for Mourinho to brag about from another laboured performance as United were on the verge of failing to score for a third consecutive European home game.

Mourinho made the bold decision to leave Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku on the bench and Alexis Sanchez out of his squad as he made six changes from a drab goalless draw last Saturday.

Marcus Rashford was given his chance to start as centre-forward, but Mourinho was less than impressed with the 21-year-old five minutes in when he dinked his finish over the bar with just goalkeeper David von Ballmoos to beat.

“If I saw my manager react like that, I would be absolutely livid!” said former England striker Gary Lineker of Mourinho’s response.

As for the goal, Fellaini said afterwards: “For me it was not handball. I controlled the ball, if it touched my hand it was not on purpose.” – AFP

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri hailed the impact Cristiano Ronaldo was having on the Italian champions as the Portuguese star became the first player to achieve 100 Champions League wins in Tuesday’s 1-0 success over Valencia that clinched their passage to the knockout rounds.

“Ronaldo gives us a sense of security and confidence,” said Allegri of the beaten finalists in two of the last four editions of the elite European competition.

“The team is essentially the same as last season. We’ve grown, become faster in playing the ball, but then, of course, there is Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Ronaldo, who joined Juventus last summer from Real Madrid, is targetting a sixth Champions