Park's Strike Secures Crucial Win for United in Turin

TURIN, ITALY — Manchester United arrived at the Allianz Stadium knowing a victory would strengthen their position in the UEFA Women's Champions League, while Juventus, languishing in 22nd place with just six points, desperately needed points to revive their European campaign. Jessica Park's clinical first-half finish proved the difference as the visitors secured a hard-fought 0-1 victory in a tightly-contested encounter.

The decisive moment arrived in the 18th minute when Park demonstrated her predatory instincts. Fridolina Rolfö, who proved instrumental throughout the evening, threaded a precise pass through the Juventus defence, finding Park centrally. The forward made no mistake, rifling a right-footed shot from the centre of the box into the top right corner, leaving Pauline Peyraud-Magnin with no chance. The goal silenced the Turin crowd and set the tone for a tense battle that would rage for the remaining 72 minutes.

Juventus responded with increasing urgency as the match progressed. Cristiana Girelli led the Italian side's attacking efforts, while Amalie Vangsgaard and Chiara Beccari created problems down the flanks. Estela Carbonell saw her 67th-minute effort saved by Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who then denied Vangsgaard just two minutes later. The American goalkeeper's heroics continued throughout, making four saves to preserve United's advantage. At the other end, Peyraud-Magnin matched her counterpart's determination, producing three saves including a crucial stop to deny Park a second goal in the 53rd minute.

The statistics reflected the evenly-matched nature of the contest. The teams shared possession almost equally at 46.4%-53.6% in United's favour, while both sides registered 12 shots and four on target. United edged the corner count 7-5, though they committed significantly more fouls with 11 compared to Juventus's three, resulting in yellow cards for Maya Le Tissier and Tullis-Joyce.

The turning point came in the final 15 minutes when Juventus manager introduced fresh legs, bringing on Michela Cambiaghi and Emma Stølen Godø. The substitutions nearly paid dividends as Godø's 90th-minute effort from the centre of the box sailed narrowly wide, while Cambiaghi's stoppage-time strike missed the target. United manager Marc Skinner responded by withdrawing Park and Hinata Miyazawa for Ella Toone and Julia Zigiotti Olme, prioritizing defensive solidity. The tactical adjustment worked perfectly as United navigated five nervy minutes of added time to claim all three points.

Looking ahead, Manchester United will travel to face Arsenal on January 10 in what promises to be a crucial domestic encounter.