Valencia vs Manchester United as it happened: Jose Mourinho's side miss chance to top Champions League group

Re-live all the action from the Mestalla

Valencia v Manchester United: Champions League match preview

Manchester United blew the chance to top their Champions League group as Jose Mourinho's much-changed side slumped to a 2-1 loss at Valencia.

Progress to the last 16 was already assured ahead of the trip to the Mestalla, yet this was a chance for Paul Pogba and Co to prove their worth and secure a win that would see them top Group H in the unlikely event that Juventus slipped up in Switzerland.

The improbable played out 650 miles away as Young Boys secured a remarkable 2-1 win against the Serie A behemoths but United failed to capitalise as they lost by the same scoreline in Spain, with Marcus Rashford grabbing a late consolation after Carlos Soler struck and Phil Jones turned into his own goal.

It was a largely lifeless, incoherent display from Mourinho's men and awful preparation for Sunday's trip to Premier League-leading rivals Liverpool.

Key Points

Valencia XI: Domenech; Piccini, Ruben Vezo, Diakhaby, Lato; Soler, Kondogbia, Parejo, Cheryshev; Batshuayi, Mina

[12 December 2018 15:46 · Jack Watson]

Welcome!

Good evening and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of tonight's Champions League football.

We'll have live coverage of Valencia vs Manchester United and Manchester City vs Hoffenheim as well as goal updates from Young Boys vs Juventus.

Stay tuned for all the build-up, which begins with team news from around 18:45 GMT

How about a bit of United's 1999 side to get you in the mood

[12 December 2018 17:17 · Jack Watson]

The special Juan

[12 December 2018 18:48 · Jack Watson]

Team news

[12 December 2018 18:50 · Nathan Jacobs]

Meanwhile, the Blue side of Manchester, who face Hoffenheim this evening line up as follows: 

Can they come back after their first defeat of the season against Chelsea?

[12 December 2018 18:57 · Nathan Jacobs]

And how do we rate United's chances tonight?

If they are victorious this evening and Juventus drop points at Young Boys then the Red Devils will finish 1st in the group. 

This​ is how Valencia​ line up attempting to stop them:​

[12 December 2018 19:01 · Nathan Jacobs]

  ↵Will City have it easy tonight?

Hoffenheim put up stern resistance a few weeks ago in Germany, with David Silva rescuing the Citizens late on in the game. 

Here's how they line up this evening: 

[12 December 2018 19:21 · Nathan Jacobs]

Away from the later games this evening, some interesting updates from Group G's early kick offs coming through. 

Real Madrid are 2-0 down, AT HOME, against Cska Moscow. 

They've already lost to the Russian side in the group but look like they might do so again. Cska WOULD become the first team to beat Real twice in the group stages without progressing. 

[12 December 2018 19:22 · Nathan Jacobs]

Don't put your money on them getting back in this, folks... 

​

[12 December 2018 19:26 · Nathan Jacobs]

THREE. NIL. CSKA. 

THREE. 

3-0. 

CSKA celebrating.. 

[12 December 2018 19:27 · Nathan Jacobs]

Incredibly enough, with Plzen currently beating Roma, CSKA are going out of European football altogether, despite being on the precipice of beating the champions home and away! 

It's a crazy game.