Juventus vs. Manchester City: Winners and Losers from Champions League

Juventus took control of Group D in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at home over Manchester City. 

The Bianconeri surged into the lead in the 18th minute as Mario Mandzukic finished off an Alex Sandro cross into the right side of the net. 

From that point on, the back three of Juve locked down the City attack and powered the Old Lady of Italian football to three points. 

After Matchday 5, Juve are on top of Group D with 11 points, while City are second on nine points. While first place won't be determined until Matchday 6, both sides have secured passage to the knockout round. 

Here's a look at our winners and losers from Juventus' third Champions League win of the season. 

Winner: Mario Mandzukic

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Mario Mandzukic scored a key strike for the Bianconeri in the 18th minute as he latched onto a cross from Alex Sandro and tapped the ball past Joe Hart. 

The strike came just a few minutes after the Croatia international wasted a beautiful cross from Claudio Marchisio with a bad header from the top of the penalty area. 

With his strike in the first half, Mandzukic put Juve into first place in Group D on 11 points. But there is still work to be done as the Bianconeri need a win over Sevilla to ensure the top spot on Matchday 6. 

Loser: Sergio Aguero

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Sergio Aguero is still in the process of shaking off all the rust he acquired from sitting on the sideline with his injury.

In his second game back in the City starting 11, Aguero wasn't as sharp as he usually is with his first touch. The best example of that came in the 44th minute, when he was presented with a golden opportunity in front of goal by a poor back pass. 

Aguero took hold of the ball on the right side of the box after Marchisio's poor back pass from the left wing, but he was unable to get around Gianluigi Buffon before the goalkeeper forced a corner kick. 

Outside of that chance, Aguero didn't have a ton of success breaking free from the Juventus back three. When he exited in the 68th minute, he had one shot on target to his name. 

The only solution to this issue is to play Aguero more so he can shake off the rust, but if he continues to be ineffective, City manager Manuel Pellegrini might want to start bringing him off the bench. 

Winner: Alex Sandro

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Four days after shining as a substitute against AC Milan, Alex Sandro thrived as a starter on the wing for Juventus. 

The Brazilian silenced Jesus Navas for most of the match and made a few key interceptions and tackles in the first half. 

Alex Sandro also got involved on the offensive end of the pitch as he provided Mandzukic with an assist on the forward's 18th-minute goal. 

With Alex Sandro in strong form at the moment, it will be hard for Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri to remove him from the starting XI anytime soon. 

Losers: Fernando and Fernandinho

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For the trip to Italy, Pellegrini opted to place Fernando and Fernandinho in the two defensive midfield positions of the 4-2-3-1 with Yaya Toure forward in the No. 10 role. 

Unfortunately for City, the midfield duo were unable to dictate the pace of the game and instead they were forced to chase Paul Pogba for long stretches. 

The pair of midfielders were caught out on the Juve goal in the 18th minute as they let Pogba surge through the middle of the pitch before he dished the ball over to Alex Sandro on the left wing. If one of the two defensive midfielders stepped in and attempted to stop the Frenchman, they would have denied Juve of a scoring opportunity. 

After that moment, neither player made a significant step in the wrong direction, but the one major error they had covering Pogba cost them. 

Now City must win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Matchday 6 and hope Sevilla beat Juventus in Spain to top the group. 

Winner: Massimiliano Allegri

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Allegri delivered a managerial masterstroke on Wednesday as he started three at the back against City. 

The combination of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli kept Aguero out of the match and rarely looked vulnerable throughout 90 minutes. 

By starting three center-backs, Allegri also allowed Alex Sandro to move with more freedom on the wing without worrying about his defensive responsibilities. That move turned out to be a perfect one as Alex Sandro was a menace moving forward. 

The change in formation from the start of Saturday's match against AC Milan started in the victory over the Rossoneri as Allegri shifted to a three-man back line for the second half of that match. Just like the entire 90 minutes against City, the back three impressed during the final 45 minutes against Milan. 

With the three-man defense working so well at the moment, do not be surprised if Allegri keeps with the formation until at least the Serie A winter break. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.