Ronaldo Scores For Ninth Straight Game As Juve Bounce Back
03 February, 2020
Serie A
Result: Juventus 3-0 Fiorentina
Date: 02 February 2020
Venue: Allianz Stadium
Cristiano Ronaldo scored for the ninth successive Serie A game to inspire Juventus to a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday afternoon.
Bianconeri manager Maurizio Sarri made two changes to the side that lost to Napoli, with Adrien Rabiot and Douglas Costa drafted into the side at the expense of Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala.
Fiorentina were threatening to go ahead in the early stages and they nearly got the breakthrough in the 21st minute through Federico Chiesa's audacious flick but Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny made a geat save at full stretch.
The Old Lady were limited to long range strikes and penalty appeals in the first half-an-hour but they won a spot-kick five minutes before the break after Miralem Pjanic's strike hit German Pazzella's arm inside the box, with the referee being persuaded after reviewing the incident on the Video Assistant Referee monitor.
Ronaldo inevitably went up to take the spot-kick and fired home from 12-yards out to make it nine straight league games with a goal.
The visitors were unlucky not to net the equaliser in the 62nd minute after Marco Benassi was given space to on the edge of the box but his powerful strike sailed inches wide of the target.
Sarri's charges came close to bagging a second goal immediately thereafter as Costa delivered a low cross that was the near post but Fiorentina shot-stopper Bartlomiej Dragowski made a great save to deny Gonzalo Higuain.
Bianconeri's pressure paid off with 12 minutes left after Federico Ceccherini shoved down Federico Bernardeschi inside the box and referee was convinced to give a penalty, which Ronaldo converted to complete his brace.
Matthijs de Ligt rounded off the scoring for the Old Lady in stoppage time after leaping highest to nod home a free-kick from Dybala as Juventus opened a six-point gap at the top.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za