Real Madrid snapped a run of five games without victory by earning a 2-1 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday yet were still booed off the pitch by their own supporters after an unconvincing performance.

Karim Benzema headed the stuttering triple European champions ahead early in the first half but they were fortunate not to concede an equaliser before the break as the Czechs somehow failed to capitalise on three clear opportunities.

Brazilian left-back Marcelo got Real's second goal with a coolly-taken dinked finish in the 55th minute and they then missed a glut of chances to extend the lead, which was cut by an ice-cool finish from Plzen's Patrik Hrosovsky in the 78th.

Real held on for a far-from-convincing win which keeps them level with Group G leaders AS Roma on six points after three games but failed to answer serious questions about their form ahead of Sunday's 'Clasico' away to arch-rivals Barcelona.

"We all needed to get a victory today which we deserved to get before," said under-pressure Real coach Julen Lopetegui.

"I can't say whether the crisis is over or not. All I can say is we had gone a lot of games without winning and it was vital we won. Points give you tranquillity and we have broken a spell of not winning. Now we have to kick on."

Precarious Position 

A run of five games without a win culminating in Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat by Levante had left Lopetegui against the ropes and he faced repeated questions about his precarious position in the build-up to the game.

The former Spain manager had insisted he felt able to continue at the helm in Madrid yet could still not give any guarantees that he would remain in charge by the weekend.

Benzema's headed goal from a superb cross by Lucas Vazquez brought a sense of calm to a nervy Santiago Bernabeu crowd although there were howling whistles at halftime after Real had given up a third chance to the Czechs but got away with it.

The visitors had missed an early opportunity when Milan Petrzela was denied at the near post by goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then managed to send the rebound wide.

David Limbersky failed to hit the target after getting past Lucas Vazquez and Hrosovsky then missed an even easier opening before the break when Navas flapped but the midfielder lacked composure and sent the ball over the bar.

Real's Uruguayan youngster Federico Valverde gave the home side a huge lift moments after coming off the bench to make his debut, winning possession and finding Gareth Bale whose backheel helped the ball to Marcelo who calmly converted.

Real captain Sergio Ramos came close to scoring as the hosts sought a third goal to wrap up the points but instead had to see the game out after Hrosovsky made amends for his earlier miss.

The final whistle provided little relief to the edgy home supporters, who let out a cacophony of boos and whistles despite Real winning for the first time in over a month.

"This result will give us confidence, we know we're not playing well at the moment but we've got three points and now we can focus on Barcelona," said Real midfielder Casemiro.

"We have to be honest and say we are not playing well and are on a bad run but we have total confidence in the squad and the coach."

Real Madrid snapped a run of five games without victory by earning a 2-1 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday yet were still booed off the pitch by their own supporters after an unconvincing performance.

Real Madrid snapped a run of five games without victory by earning a 2-1 win at home to Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Tuesday yet were still booed off the pitch by their own supporters after an unconvincing performance. Karim Benzema headed the stuttering triple European champions ahead early in the first half but they were fortunate not to concede an equaliser before the break as the Czechs somehow failed to capitalise on three clear opportunities. Brazilian left-back Marcelo got Real's second goal with a coolly-taken dinked finish in the 55th minute and they then missed a glut of chances to extend the lead, which was cut by an ice-cool finish from Plzen's Patrik Hrosovsky in the 78th. Real held on for a far-from-convincing win which keeps them level with Group G leaders AS Roma on six points after three games but failed to answer serious questions about their form ahead of Sunday's 'Clasico' away to arch-rivals Barcelona. "We all needed to get a victory today which we deserved to get before," said under-pressure Real coach Julen Lopetegui. "I can't say whether the crisis is over or not. All I can say is we had gone a lot of games without winning and it was vital we won. Points give you tranquillity and we have broken a spell of not winning. Now we have to kick on." Precarious Position A run of five games without a win culminating in Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat by Levante had left Lopetegui against the ropes and he faced repeated questions about his precarious position in the build-up to the game. The former Spain manager had insisted he felt able to continue at the helm in Madrid yet could still not give any guarantees that he would remain in charge by the weekend. Benzema's headed goal from a superb cross by Lucas Vazquez brought a sense of calm to a nervy Santiago Bernabeu crowd although there were howling whistles at halftime after Real had given up a third chance to the Czechs but got away with it. The visitors had missed an early opportunity when Milan Petrzela was denied at the near post by goalkeeper Keylor Navas and then managed to send the rebound wide. David Limbersky failed to hit the target after getting past Lucas Vazquez and Hrosovsky then missed an even easier opening before the break when Navas flapped but the midfielder lacked composure and sent the ball over the bar. Real's Uruguayan youngster Federico Valverde gave the home side a huge lift moments after coming off the bench to make his debut, winning possession and finding Gareth Bale whose backheel helped the ball to Marcelo who calmly converted. Real captain Sergio Ramos came close to scoring as the hosts sought a third goal to wrap up the points but instead had to see the game out after Hrosovsky made amends for his earlier miss. The final whistle provided little relief to the edgy home supporters, who let out a cacophony of boos and whistles despite Real winning for the first time in over a month. "This result will give us confidence, we know we're not playing well at the moment but we've got three points and now we can focus on Barcelona," said Real midfielder Casemiro. "We have to be honest and say we are not playing well and are on a bad run but we have total confidence in the squad and the coach."

Real end winless run against Plzen but doubts remain

An impressive Juventus beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to take command of Champions League Group H with a maximum nine points from three games and demonstrate just how far Jose Mourinho's side are from Europe's elite.

Paulo Dybala's 17th minute goal, a simple conversion after a low cross from the right by former United favourite Cristiano Ronaldo, won the game but the dominant Italian champions could have won by a much more convincing margin.

United needed their Spanish keeper David de Gea to be in top form as he made a series of good saves, including an excellent effort to keep out a second-half strike from Ronaldo.

If United fans can see little hope of their side catching up the top trio in the Premier League they will also know after this game that there is precious chance of them doing better in continental action.

With four points leaving them second in their group, ahead of Valencia and Young Boys, United may still progress to the knockout stages but the gulf between them and a team equipped to reach the latter stages was all too evident.

United were unchanged from the team that drew at Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday but the visitors very quickly demonstrated that they had no fear of the task in front of them.

Perhaps United's players would have been better joining their manager Jose Mourinho on the ten-minute walk from the team's hotel to the stadium than sitting in traffic for an hour on the team bus because they made a woefully slow start.

Right from the outset, Massimiliano Allegri's side were sharper, faster, more precise and showed more purpose than Mourinho's men, who struggled to even match the tempo of the Italian champions.

The most disconcerted Juve looked in the early exchanges was when a fan invaded the pitch only to be apprehended by security before he could reach his apparent target, Ronaldo.

It was no surprise at all when, in the 17th minute, Juve took the lead.

Ronaldo broke down the right and put in a low cross towards the near post which Chris Smalling and Juan Cuadrado challenged for before the ball fell kindly to Dybala, who converted with ease.

Juve sensed the fear in their opponents and looked for a quick second as Joao Cancelo burst unchallenged into the area and then tested United De Gea with a fierce drive.

It was a busy opening half for the Spanish keeper -- Ronaldo struck a swerving free-kick straight at De Gea, who then did well to keep out the follow-up effort from Blaise Matuidi.

The halftime statistics showed a remarkable dominance for a visiting side at Old Trafford with Juve enjoying 67 per cent of possession and double the amount of passes.

Ronaldo, operating in a free role, roaming wide when he felt it would be fruitful, brought another fine save from De Gea seven minutes after the interval with a thundering shot after being set up by Cuadrado.

United's effort could not be faulted, however much guile and penetration they lacked, and they could have drawn level in the 75th minute when Paul Pogba, facing his former club, struck the post with a left foot shot from outside the box.

At the final whistle, another fan tried to greet Ronaldo and came up against security officers but the Portuguese insisted on taking a photograph with the interloper and left the field to the applause of both sets of fans.

Once again, United fans were left with a reminder of their glorious past in the shape of their old boy Ronaldo. It was their only consolation after a game in which their current weaknesses were so comprehensively exposed.

An impressive Juventus beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to take command of Champions League Group H with a maximum nine points from three games and demonstrate just how far Jose Mourinho's side are from Europe's elite.

An impressive Juventus beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Tuesday to take command of Champions League Group H with a maximum nine points from three games and demonstrate just how far Jose Mourinho's side are from Europe's elite. Paulo Dybala's 17th minute goal, a simple conversion after a low cross from the right by former United favourite Cristiano Ronaldo, won the game but the dominant Italian champions could have won by a much more convincing margin. United needed their Spanish keeper David de Gea to be in top form as he made a series of good saves, including an excellent effort to keep out a second-half strike from Ronaldo. If United fans can see little hope of their side catching up the top trio in the Premier League they will also know after this game that there is precious chance of them doing better in continental action. With four points leaving them second in their group, ahead of Valencia and Young Boys, United may still progress to the knockout stages but the gulf between them and a team equipped to reach the latter stages was all too evident. United were unchanged from the team that drew at Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday but the visitors very quickly demonstrated that they had no fear of the task in front of them. Perhaps United's players would have been better joining their manager Jose Mourinho on the ten-minute walk from the team's hotel to the stadium than sitting in traffic for an hour on the team bus because they made a woefully slow start. Right from the outset, Massimiliano Allegri's side were sharper, faster, more precise and showed more purpose than Mourinho's men, who struggled to even match the tempo of the Italian champions. The most disconcerted Juve looked in the early exchanges was when a fan invaded the pitch only to be apprehended by security before he could reach his apparent target, Ronaldo. It was no surprise at all when, in the 17th minute, Juve took the lead. Ronaldo broke down the right and put in a low cross towards the near post which Chris Smalling and Juan Cuadrado challenged for before the ball fell kindly to Dybala, who converted with ease. Juve sensed the fear in their opponents and looked for a quick second as Joao Cancelo burst unchallenged into the area and then tested United De Gea with a fierce drive. It was a busy opening half for the Spanish keeper -- Ronaldo struck a swerving free-kick straight at De Gea, who then did well to keep out the follow-up effort from Blaise Matuidi. The halftime statistics showed a remarkable dominance for a visiting side at Old Trafford with Juve enjoying 67 per cent of possession and double the amount of passes. Ronaldo, operating in a free role, roaming wide when he felt it would be fruitful, brought another fine save from De Gea seven minutes after the interval with a thundering shot after being set up by Cuadrado. United's effort could not be faulted, however much guile and penetration they lacked, and they could have drawn level in the 75th minute when Paul Pogba, facing his former club, struck the post with a left foot shot from outside the box. At the final whistle, another fan tried to greet Ronaldo and came up against security officers but the Portuguese insisted on taking a photograph with the interloper and left the field to the applause of both sets of fans. Once again, United fans were left with a reminder of their glorious past in the shape of their old boy Ronaldo. It was their only consolation after a game in which their current weaknesses were so comprehensively exposed.

Champions League: Ronaldo's Juventus beat Manchester United

Manchester United were charged by UEFA for arriving late for their goalless draw at home to Valencia in the Champions League, on Tuesday.

The European soccer body said on Wednesday.

As per media reports, the United team bus had been held up in traffic on the way to Old Trafford and arrived only 45 minutes before kickoff of the Group H match.

The game was put back by five minutes.

UEFA said that disciplinary proceedings had been opened against the English Premier League side for late team arrival and late kick-off.

Valencia were also charged over the late kickoff, along with "kit infringement" and the setting-off of fireworks by their supporters, UEFA said.

A fourth successive winless game increased the pressure on United manager Jose Mourinho who cut a deflated figure afterwards.

Manchester United were charged by UEFA for arriving late for their goalless draw at home to Valencia in the Champions League, on Tuesday. The European soccer body said on Wednesday.

Manchester United were charged by UEFA for arriving late for their goalless draw at home to Valencia in the Champions League, on Tuesday. The European soccer body said on Wednesday. As per media reports, the United team bus had been held up in traffic on the way to Old Trafford and arrived only 45 minutes before kickoff of the Group H match. The game was put back by five minutes. UEFA said that disciplinary proceedings had been opened against the English Premier League side for late team arrival and late kick-off. Valencia were also charged over the late kickoff, along with "kit infringement" and the setting-off of fireworks by their supporters, UEFA said. A fourth successive winless game increased the pressure on United manager Jose Mourinho who cut a deflated figure afterwards.

Man United charged over late arrival for Champions League match against Valencia