Ronaldo scores again as Juve bounce back
ROME, Feb 2, (AP): Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties to tie a club record by scoring for a ninth straight game as Serie A leaders Juventus bounced back from a rare loss with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday.
The penalties came toward the end of each half as Ronaldo - who appeared bothered by a bloody cut to his ankle during the pre-match warmup matched David Trezeguet’s streak from 2005.
Ronaldo now has 19 goals in 19 matches of this season’s Italian league - only two fewer than he scored in all of last season - and in 50 Serie A matches since joining Juventus from Real Madrid before last season, he has been involved in 50 goals (40 goals and 10 assists).
Matthijs de Ligt added another for Juventus in added time by heading in a corner.
Juventus was five points ahead of Lazio, which moved up to second with a 5-1 rout of Spal and have a game in hand.
Last weekend at Napoli, Juventus lost only their second match in the Italian league.
Fiorentina, which lost tgheir first match since Giuseppe Iachini replaced Vincenzo Montella as coach last month, remained 14th.
The Viola have not picked up a single point at the Allianz Stadium since the facility opened in 2011.
The first penalty was awarded after a shot from Miralem Pjanic hit the hand of Fiorentina defender Germán Pezzella. After the penalty was confirmed by the VAR, Ronaldo coolly slotted a low shot inside the left post before goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drgowski could get there.
The second penalty came after Federico Ceccherini got in the way of Rodrigo Betancur, who was making his way through the Fiorentina defense. Ronaldo again sent his spot kick inside the left post while Drgowski this time leaped in the other direction.
Rocco Commisso, the ItalianAmerican cable TV magnate who bought Fiorentina last year, took issue with the penalties.
“I’ve been here for six months and I’ve never criticized the referees, but I’m now saying that referees cannot decide the games,” Commisso said. “I am disgusted.
Maybe the first one was a penalty, but the second one certainly was not. The referees cannot decide the games. They need to let the players do their work on the field.
SOCCER
“Juventus pay huge salaries. They don’t need extra help,” Commisso added. “I am disgusted by what I saw today, but also last week with Genoa and then against Inter.” Juventus vicechairman Pavel Nedved responded by saying “we are seeing too much of this narrative against Juventus, suggesting that Juventus do not deserve their victories.
“We are fed up with this sort of thing,” Nedved added. “It’s time for people to stop relying on alibis when they play against Juve. We win games because we play well.” Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczsny was exceptional early on to deny Fiorentina as the visitors threatened with several chances against their hated rivals.
Ciro Immobile and Felipe Caicedo each scored braces in Lazio’s 5-1 rout of Spal, which dropped into last place. Lazio forward Bobby Adekanye also got on the scoresheet with his first Serie A goal.
Atalanta were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Genoa, which began the day in last place, but still moved ahead of Roma into fourth place and the final Champions League spot. A late equalizer from Josip Iliić secured Atalanta the point.
Meanwhile, eighth-place AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Hellas Verona as Zlatan Ibrahimović was held out due to sickness. After Davide Faraoni’s opener for Verona, Hakan Çalhanoğlu replied for Milan with a free kick that deflected in off Verona’s wall. Verona played the final 22 minutes with 10 men after Sofyan Amrabat was shown a direct red for coming down on Samu Castillejo’s leg.