Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037099
31 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 OCTOBER 2018 SPORTS FOOTBALL MANCHESTER United came from 2-0 down at half time to pinch a 3-2 win over Newcastle and ease some of the pressure on under-fire manager Jose Mourinho. A last-minute header from Alexis Sanchez grabbed all three points for United after Kenedy and Yoshinori Mu- to had stunned Old Trafford by putting Newcastle 2-0 up at the break. With tension in the air, Juan Mata pulled a goal back on 70 minutes and Anthony Martial levelled. With all the rumours circulating about his impending departure, Mour- inho badly needed a fast start from his United team but he got exactly the op- posite as Newcastle took the lead after just seven minutes. Kenedy stunned Old Trafford with a fine run and curled low finish beyond David De Gea, but that was nothing to the disbelief which greeted Newcastle's second just three minutes later as Muto twisted and turned before firing home from close range. It could have been worse had De Gea not pulled off another couple of saves and it should have been more when Ashley Young got away with a blatant handball inside the box, as United's de- fending bordered on the hapless. United were vastly improved in the second half though but Newcastle did not help their cause by sitting back al- most from the off and inviting pressure, while wasting the early chances they had on the break. It took a set play to get the hosts back into it as Mata curled in a superb free kick from the edge of the box with 20 minutes left to play, and Martial lev- elled just six minutes later to set up a grandstand finish. Both sides had chances to win it but it was substitute Sanchez who popped up with the header in the last minute to send a huge wave of relief crashing over Old Trafford and especially the United manager. Last minute Sanchez winner eases pressure on Jose Mourinho JUVENTUS secured a 10th win in a row as they cruised to a 2-0 victory at Udinese yesterday, Rodrigo Bentancur and Cris- tiano Ronaldo getting the goals. Juve were dominant right from the start and capitalised when Bentancur and Ronaldo found the net four minutes apart. The home side did go close on a couple of occasions, though they never looked capable of clawing things back, as Juve pre- served their record of being un- beaten away from home in Serie A this calendar year. Udinese struggled to even get out of their own half in the first period and it was a surprise they kept it 0-0 for as long as they did. Bentancur eventually broke the deadlock 33 minutes into the game, rising well to meet Joao Cancelo's glorious cross and head in. Ronaldo doubled Juve's lead soon after, shooting left- footed across goal and finding the bottom-right corner. Udinese could have pulled one back just prior to the break, but Antonin Barak's 25-yard strike hit the post. Kevin Lasagna then went close in the second half, latching on to a free-kick and seeing his goal- bound effort cleared off the line by Emre Can, a half-time re- placement for Blaise Matuidi. Ronaldo could have got himself a second goal 16 minutes from time, but Simone Scuffet made a fine save with his foot to keep the effort out and Juve were unable to add further gloss to the score- line as a late deflected Cancelo strike hit the crossbar. Brilliant Ronaldo goal caps Juventus win over Udinese Alexis Sanchez scores the winner for Man Utd against Newcastle