Juve held, Inter bounce back
JUVENTUS again showed their reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo as, with the superstar attacker absent, they drew 1-1 at promoted Benevento yesterday, while Serie A title rivals Inter Milan beat highflying Sassuolo 3-0 to move second.
The champions’ fifth draw in nine league matches leaves Andrea Pirlo’s side fifth, three points behind leaders AC Milan who have a game in hand.
Ronaldo did not play after scoring in Juventus’s 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros on Tuesday which sealed their berth in the Champions League last 16.
“Every team is addicted to Ronaldo, even at Real Madrid he scored a lot,” said Pirlo, describing the Portuguese star as “a catalyst”.
“He is an important player and it’s normal that he makes you win games, but even without Ronaldo we have to be good at winning games.”
Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala started up front in Ronaldo’s absence, which Pirlo put down to “tiredness”.
“(Ronaldo) had a little problem and he wanted to play anyway in the Champions League.
“He had played many games with the national team, it is normal for him to get tired and rest.”
Morata, who scored the late winner on Tuesday, opened the scoring in the 21st minute after collecting Federico Chiesa’s cross-pitch pass to bring his tally to eight goals in all competitions this season.
Gaetano Letizia’s volley just before the break earned a point for 13th-placed Benevento.
Dybala wasted chances to score his first league goal this season, including one four minutes from time when goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo tipped over the bar.
Morata also missed opportunities to rescue Juventus before being shown a red card after the final whistle for arguing with the referee.
“When we lack players of experience and personality, we struggle,” added Pirlo, also without injured defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
In Emilia-Romagna, Antonio Conte’s Inter bounced back from the 2-0 loss to Real Madrid which left their Champions League hopes dangling by a thread, inflicting this season’s first defeat on
Sassuolo.
Inter move second ahead of
Sassuolo, with both teams on
18 points after nine games, two points behind AC
Milan and one ahead of
Conte’s old team Juve.
– AFP