Rome (AFP)
Juventus has found both Cristiano Ronaldo and the taste for victory on Sunday against the promoted La Spezia (4-1), with two goals from the Portuguese star for his return to business after his quarantine due to Covid-19.
After three draws in a row in the league, on the pitch, this success on behalf of the 6th day of Serie A allows Juve to temporarily climb to 2nd place in the standings pending the match between Napoli and Sassuolo (17:00 GMT ).
With CR7, everything becomes easier for coach Andrea Pirlo: entered after ten minutes of play in the second half while the Bianconeri (in orange on Sunday) were hung 1-1, the Portuguese took only three minutes to find the net path, well served by Alavaro Morata.
And the indisputable boss of Juve did not leave anyone the task of transforming, with a panelka full of authority, the 4-1 penalty obtained by Federico Chiesa (76th), after Adrien Rabiot had in the meantime made the break solo, like an attacker (68th).
Until Ronaldo came into play, instead of a Dybala still far from his best level, everything had been more complicated for Juventus.
The Italian champions had certainly opened the scoring by Morata (14th), at the conclusion of a nice collective movement, but had also spoiled too much, allowing Spezia to equalize on one of his rare forays, by Tommaso Pobega (32nd), whose deviation left no chance for Gianluigi Buffon.
alu / cp
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Sunday enriched his collection of acrobatic goals to consolidate the first place of AC Milan, during the 6th day of Serie A, which saw Cristiano Ronaldo, barely cured of Covid-19, to offer himself a double for his return with Juventus.
In an Italian championship where veterans have been performing since the start of the season, Juve suddenly found their Portuguese star, the taste of victory, against the promoted La Spezia (4-1) and a ranking more in line with its ambitions: 2nd, provisionally, pending the face to face between Naples and Sassuolo from 6:00 p.m.
With CR7, who missed four matches due to coronavirus, everything becomes easier for coach Andrea Pirlo, who remained on three draws in the league (the match won against Naples having been on the green carpet).
Entered after ten minutes of play in the second half while the Bianconeri (in orange on Sunday) were hooked, the Portuguese took only three minutes to score, well served by Alavaro Morata.
And he left it to no one to transform, with a panenka full of authority, the 4-1 penalty obtained by Federico Chiesa (76th), after Adrien Rabiot had meanwhile made the break solo, like an attacker (68th).
"Cristiano is back!"
("Cristiano is back"), blurted out the 35-year-old Portuguese, all smiles, not sorry to have returned to "doing what (he) likes, playing football".
- Morata better than VAR -
Until Ronaldo came into play, instead of a transparent Dybala, everything had been more complicated.
The Italian champions had certainly opened the scoring by Morata (14th), at the conclusion of a nice collective movement: a goal that allowed the Spaniard to overcome the curse of the VAR which, this time, granted him the goal, he who was nicknamed "ALVAR" by the Italian press after several goals recently denied for offside.
But Juve also spoiled too much in the first half, allowing Spezia to equalize on one of its rare forays, by Tommaso Pobega (32nd), whose deviation left no chance for Gianluigi Buffon.
Like Ronaldo at Juve, Ibrahimovic justified his star status and the highest salary in the team by pulling AC Milan out of a bad spot on Udinese (2-1).
And with the manner, thanks to one of those acrobatic returns of which he has the secret, a few minutes from the end.
"A beautiful goal", certainly, but above all a kick synonymous with three points in a match that "was not easy", said the Swedish 39-year-old, top scorer in Serie A with now seven goals.
- Motionless, winning return -
The Rossoneri, started by the accumulation of matches, were joined at the start of the second period on a penalty (De Paul, 48th) after having opened the scoring by Kessie (18th), already on an impeccable service behind "Ibra ".
Milan have stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 consecutive matches since they resumed competition in June.
And the Lombard club has recorded two important returns, four days from receiving Lille in the Europa League: goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, less than a week after the announcement of his positive test for Covid-19, and Croatian striker Ante Rebic, after a month of absence (elbow).
Another winning return, that of Ciro Immobile at Lazio Rome, after having missed the trip to Bruges (1-1) in the Champions League after "dubious" tests at Covid-19.
On energy, the Laziali overturned the poorly classified Torino, who thought they had secured the victory by taking the lead (3-2) three minutes from the end.
But a crazy end to the match in Turin, stretched after a use of VAR which lasted three minutes, smiled on the Romans, who first equalized from the penalty spot by Immobile (90 + 5) before knocking out the "Toro" by Caicedo (90 + 8th).
© 2020 AFP