Jose Mourinho Says Manchester United 'Far' Behind Juventus Level After UCL Loss

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his team are lagging behind the best sides in European football following their 1-0 loss to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. 

A Paulo Dybala goal was the difference on the night between the two sides, although for long spells the visitors were the dominant force at Old Trafford. Afterwards, Mourinho said his team have a gap to make up to the Italian champions.

"Since the draw, we knew we would be fighting with Valencia for the second position," he said, per Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail. "We are far, a bit far, behind Juventus. They are in a different level of quality, stability, experience and know-how."

In addition, while Mourinho praised Juventus for signing some world-class players this summer, he also commented on how their side is built on a strong foundation in defence.

"When they are in front it is very difficult to concede a goal," he told BT Sport when discussing the Italian pair (h/t Nathan Salt of the MailOnline). "In the second half Juventus defended, and they held the game with an extra centre-back so it was a really difficult match for us."

As Salt noted, the United manager was keen to strengthen his options at centre-back in the summer, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Toby Alderweireld and Diego Godin linked. Bonucci himself said the Red Devils made an offer for him this summer, although he decided to return to Juve from AC Milan, per Jason Burt of the Daily Telegraph.

Mourinho was also asked about how the team goes about closing the gap to the best sides in Europe:

The chasm between the two was clear on the night, as the Bianconeri outclassed their rivals all over the field. Rory Smith of the New York Times said the two teams have been moving in different trajectories in recent years:

Juventus have dominated the Italian game, winning seven titles in a row. They've also fared well in the Champions League without winning it recently, getting to two of the last four finals.

Having strengthened their options again in the summer with the likes of Ronaldo and Bonucci, it's easy to see why they are considered among the favourites for Champions League glory this year.

Still, as football journalist Colin Millar added, United have been lavish spenders under Mourinho too:

Burt noted that this summer's main acquisition was left out of the XI for the game:

Throughout Mourinho's tenure he has been backed with the purchases of players like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Fred and others. As of yet, the coach has struggled to help any of those high-profile names push on to another level.

Juventus may have spent big in some instances, but they've also made savvy signings in the form of Blaise Matuidi, Miralem Pjanic, Rodrigo Bentancur and Wojciech Szczesny, who all excelled in the one-sided encounter on Tuesday.