Evergreen Ronaldo lifts Juventus to 3rd in Serie A, Napoli sink in Genoa

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Evergreen striker Cristiano Ronaldo scored the day after turning 36 as Juventus overtook Roma to go third in Serie A on Saturday with a 2-0 win over the capital facet as Napoli slumped in Genoa.

Juventus transfer 5 factors behind leaders Inter Milan, who beat Fiorentina 2-0 on Friday, with a recreation in hand.

Second-placed AC Milan are one level off prime spot earlier than internet hosting struggling Crotone on Sunday.

Napoli missed the prospect to tug stage on factors with Roma, falling to their second defeat in three league video games, 2-1 in opposition to resurgent Genoa.

Ronaldo put Juventus forward on 13 minutes along with his sixteenth league purpose of the marketing campaign to increase his lead as Serie A’s prime scorer this time period forward of Inter’s Romelu Lukaku.

The Portuguese striker, who scored a double within the Italian Cup in midweek in opposition to Inter, ended his three-match league run with out a purpose.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner missed different possibilities as he was denied by the crossbar within the twenty third minute and Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez seven minutes earlier than the break.

Juventus’s second purpose got here 20 minutes from time when Roger Ibanez became his personal internet whereas attempting to cease Ronaldo attending to a Dejan Kulusevski cross.

“We would ready for this form of recreation,” stated coach Andrea Pirlo, whose facet drew 2-2 with Roma the final time the groups met.

“Within the reverse fixture, Roma employed the identical tactic in opposition to us and this time we needed to show the sport on its head tactically.

“Morale is excessive. Defensively we’re robust and we’re extra alert than we had been earlier than.”

Pirlo has settled into his position as Juventus boss after a stuttering begin to the marketing campaign, with six wins in seven league video games in 2021.

“You be taught from matches and defeats. You be taught one thing from each recreation, particularly as it is so tactical in Italy and you’ll’t play each recreation the identical manner,” stated the previous Italian World Cup winner.

Ronaldo later tweeted: “Blissful to attain and assist the workforce in opposition to a troublesome opponent! 3 essential factors!”

In the meantime, Paulo Fonseca’s Roma have nonetheless not crushed any of the opposite prime eight groups this season.

Former captain Edin Dzeko returned after being sidelined following a falling out with Fonseca, however the Bosnian’s presence didn’t carry his facet.

Roma are two factors behind Juventus in fourth, having performed one recreation greater than the Turin giants.

“We had extra photographs on purpose (14 to three), extra corners (9 to 2), but it surely’s the workforce that scores objectives that wins,” stated Fonseca.

“A participant like Ronaldo makes the distinction. That is why he is the most effective on the earth,” he added of his fellow Portuguese.

– Genoa punish Napoli –

In Genoa, Goran Pandev scored twice in opposition to his former membership, having misplaced 6-0 within the reverse fixture.

Napoli had been struggling with out defensive duo Kalidou Koulibaly and Faouzi Ghoulam, who examined constructive for coronavirus, with ahead Dries Mertens out injured.

Milan Badelj teed up Pandev for the opener after 11 minutes, getting the second off a Miha Zajc cross quarter-hour later.

Matteo Politano pulled a purpose again with 11 minutes to go.

Genoa transfer as much as eleventh, having been nineteenth after 13 video games in late December when Davide Ballardini returned as coach.

“The coach has given us loads, serenity and confidence,” stated Pandev.

“For us these are three crucial factors as a result of we’re not secure but.”

Napoli boss Gennaro Gattuso lamented a missed alternative earlier than subsequent week’s recreation at house in opposition to Juventus.

“There may be a number of remorse, this 12 months we’re conceding many objectives that are an identical and this hurts us.”

Atalanta let slip a three-goal lead after 20 minutes to attract 3-3 at house by Torino.

Josip Ilicic, Robin Gosens and Luis Muriel put the Bergamo facet in management.

However Torino captain Andrea Belotti pulled a purpose again three minutes earlier than the break, sending within the rebound after lacking a penalty, with Bremer getting a second in first-half added time.

Federico Bonazzoli headed within the equaliser six minutes from time.

It was a 3rd attract three video games for brand new Torino coach Davide Nicola with the membership seventeenth, one level above the relegation zone.

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