MILAN (AFP) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as voracious Italian champions Juventus finished 2018 on a high with a 2-1 win over Sampdoria to set a new record of 53 points before the winter break.
Ronaldo curled in the opener after just two minutes in Turin adding a second from the penalty spot after 66 minutes, putting the Portuguese top of Serie A's scoring charts on 14 goals.
Evergreen Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella pulled the Genoa outfit level with a penalty after 33 minutes, with the visitors having a late Riccardo Saponara goal ruled offside after consultation with the video assistant referee.
VAR proved decisive in the game with Sampdoria coach Marco Giampaolo, dismissing Ronaldo's penalty as "a gift," adding "that Saponara goal should never have been cancelled".
"Juventus are strong, they consume everything. They are a cannibal," said Giampaolo.
"For me, morally, the game was 2-2."
Juventus open up a 12-point lead at the top of Serie A ahead of Napoli who can reduce the gap when they host Bologna later on Saturday.
The seven-time reigning champions also have a record number of points before the three-week winter break with 53 from 19 games.
"Records are meaningless, if not to improve and raise the bar," said coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose team target a first trophy of the season in the Italian SuperCup on Jan 16 against AC Milan.
The reigning champions have dropped points just twice, being held 1-1 by Genoa at home in October and 2-2 against Atalanta midweek, and are firmly on track for an eighth consecutive Scudetto.
VAR DECISIVE
Ronaldo had come off the bench to score in Bergamo last Wednesday but returned to the starting line-up in the Allianz Stadium.
And the Portuguese striker found a way through early, picking up a Paulo Dybala cross to fire in past Sampdoria's on loan Juventus goalkeeper Emil Audero.
Sampdoria pulled level following a penalty awarded following an Emre Can handball with Quagliarella making no mistake beating Mattia Perin in the Juventus goal.
The 35-year-old became the first player to score in nine consecutive Serie A games since David Trezeguet for Juventus in 2005.
Audero denied Dybala before the break with Mario Mandzukic missing a chance to finish off a Ronaldo cross.
The Sampdoria goalkeeper again deflected over a Ronaldo header on the hour but the hosts went ahead when the referee pointed to the spot for an Alex Ferrari handball off a corner after a VAR viewing.
Substitute Saponara looked to have grabbed a point deep into injury time but VAR ruled he was in an offside position as Sampdoria stay fifth, two points behind Lazio who occupy the final Champions League spot.
"I like VAR a lot because it reduces the number of mistakes," said Ronaldo.
"It's not easy for the match officials to analyse everything that goes on in a match. We just have to let them get on with their jobs."
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner joined Juventus from Real Madrid last summer.
"The first half of the season has gone really well," said the 33-year-old, "but there's still a long way to go. We must stay focused and keep working away if we want to achieve great things."
Inter Milan, in third, travel to Tuscany outfit Empoli on Saturday, without their fans, who are barred after racism and violence overshadowed their midweek game against Napoli in the San Siro.
Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks, Qatar's Ali downs Saudis a thunderous winner from Shiotani, who plays his club football with Al Ain and unfurled a rippling strike just before the hour-mark
Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks, Qatar's Ali downs Saudis
Mauricio Pochettino feels his two-match touchline ban for confronting referee Mike Dean is "completely unfair". Tottenham boss Pochettino was seen arguing at length with Dean following a 2-1
Mauricio Pochettino labels two-game touchline ban 'completely
Chelsea consolidated fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday that became harder work than had seemed likely in the first half. Having won 4-0 at the
Chelsea hold on against Brighton to consolidate top four spot
Football; Liverpool title bid hit by Matip injury Cameroon centre-back Matip had started the Reds' last three matches and his injury is blow to Liverpool's hopes of remaining on top of the
Liverpool title bid hit by Matip injury - Vanguard News
Messi backs Valverde but admits Barca are still hurting Madrid, Spain: Lionel Messi wants Ernesto Valverde to continue as Barcelona coach but admits the team have not recovered from their Champions League loss to Liverpool as they face Valencia in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday.
Messi backs Valverde but admits Barca are still hurting
Arsenal's Lacazette free to face Rennes as UEFA cuts ban first-leg match and was hit with a three-game ban by European soccer's governing body for serious rough play. by Arsenal FC has
Football: Arsenal's Lacazette free to face Rennes as Uefa
Real Madrid meet with Neymar's father and already know his price tag. What better way to glance over a disastrous domestic campaign than to switch attention to potential incomings.
Neymar set to seal world-record move to PSG worth £450m in
Kane insists club rivalries will not split England camp
Qatar coach Felix Sanchez has vowed to "isolate" his players from politics at the Asian Cup, which is taking place in the United Arab Emirates during a diplomatic crisis between the countries. The tournament represents the first visit by the Qatari national side to the UAE since the beginning of a row that has transformed the Gulf and left
Qatar coach to 'isolate' team from Gulf politics at Asian Cup
Olivier Giroud vs Gonzalo Higuain - Chelsea must start serial final winner against Arsenal. Maurizio Sarri has a choice to make up front
Gonzalo Higuain: Chelsea will do very well next season if
Madrid - An operation against several footballers, ex-players including former Spain international Raul Bravo and club executives accused of fixing matches in the first and second divisions was
Spain football match-fixing probe: Police target current and
Read ⠀⠀026; A QUEEN IN THE MAKING from the story ๐ฐ๐ด๐จ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฌ. ๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ. by NASASTAN (๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐) with
Adam Lambert Isn't Interested In Making New Queen Music
0 comments:
Post a Comment