Not many would have fancied Manchester United in Turin, a fortnight after losing 1-0 at Old Trafford to the same side. Going by their current trend of performances, the Red Devils kept up to their penchant of not only surprising the opponent but themselves too.
Unbeaten in all competitions so far with 13 wins and 1 draw after 14 games played, the Italian giants looked set for another routine win, but Jose Mourinho and his men had other ideas.
The Biaconneri fans were left shell-shocked after Manchester United ran out winners beating Juventus in their own backyard to make for one of the most thrilling finishes in Champions League football.
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Though, Juventus enjoyed the lions share of the possession and deservedly went ahead after Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning volley against his former club in the 65th minute, but it was Manchester United who had the final laugh after substitute Juan Mata equalized with a beautiful freekick shortly after coming on, minutes later a scramble in the box which led to Alex Sandra prodding the ball into his own net.
However, there was more drama on the night after Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho entered the pitch and celebrated the win by cupping his ears to the irate Juve fans. The Portuguese are not fondly remembered by the Juventus fans for his exploits with the club’s bitter rivals Inter which included a treble in 2008.
Whether you like him or hate him, Jose Mourinho is one of the best characters alive. This man doesn’t care about anything, what a legend. pic.twitter.com/2PA01R0ykY
— Football HQ (@FootbaII_HQ) November 7, 2018
The Special One claimed that he had been abused by the Juventus fans for the entire 90 minutes of the match, and enjoyed every right to enjoy the triumph at the final whistle.
“I was insulted for 90 minutes. I came here to do my job, nothing more,” Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia.
“I didn’t offend anyone at the end, I just made a gesture that I wanted to hear them louder. I probably shouldn’t have done it, and with a cool head I wouldn’t have done it, but with my family insulted, including my Inter family, I reacted like this.”
Jose Mourinho’s antics sparked reactions from few players like Chiellini and Dyabala. The Manchester United boss was later repentant about his actions and maintained that he had respect for the club.
“I respect Juventus, I respect their players, their manager, everything, the quality they have, and I’m really, really proud of my boys.”