Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday headed in a late equalizer to spoil Torino’s dream of a first win at city rivals Juventus in nearly a quarter-century and frustrate their bid to move into the UEFA Champions League places.
Sasa Lukic had fired Torino ahead after 17 minutes in a match brought forward a day to avoid clashing with yesterday’s 70th anniversary of the air disaster that wiped out the all-conquering Grande Torino team of the 1940s.
However, Ronaldo headed in to equalize the match after 84 minutes to leave Torino in sixth place, two points off the Champions League berths with three games left to play.
Juventus have already sealed the Serie A title for the eighth season in a row, but Torino still have all to play for as they target a first-ever qualification for elite European competition.
“This draw burns, we could have scored a second goal and brought the win home,” Torino coach Walter Mazzarri said. “The only time we let down our guard, the phenomenon that is Ronaldo punished us.”
Torino have not won at Juventus since 1995, while their only win since then against their city rivals was at home in April 2015.
Ronaldo — who had scored the only goal with a penalty in the reverse fixture in December last year — was partnered up front with teenage striker Moise Kean.
Kean threatened early, as did Torino captain Andrea Belotti.
However, Serbian midfielder Lukic broke through following a Miralem Pjanic error to slot in his first goal for Torino.
Ronaldo came close to an equalizer soon after with a powerful strike just wide, with Salvatore Sirigu denying Blaise Matuidi.
However, Juventus increased the pressure after the break, with Ronaldo rising highest to latch onto a Leonardo Spinazzola cross to beat Sirigu and deny Torino a third consecutive victory.
It was Ronaldo’s 21st league goal this season and moves him two behind UC Sampdoria’s Fabio Quagliarella, who leads the Serie A scoring charts.
The Portuguese superstar brought his tally of career club goals to 601, edging ahead of Argentine rival Lionel Messi, who has 600.
“We’re lucky to play with Cristiano and live in this age of two star players,” Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini said. “They’re somewhat comparable to [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal. The are both out of this world, one seems stronger one day and then the other replies.”
For Juventus, it was a second consecutive stalemate after last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Inter.
“Clearly once you’ve won the league, the foot comes off the gas a little bit and it becomes difficult to find the motivation,” coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
“But compared to the San Siro, we started better and if we hadn’t conceded that goal in the first half it might have been a different game,” he added.
Juventus are nevertheless 19 points ahead of second-placed SSC Napoli, who host Cagliari today.
Inter, eight points behind Napoli, were yesterday to look to consolidate third position and their Champions League berth at Udinese.
Torino remained sixth, one point behind AS Roma and two adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta BC.
Although Juventus have nothing left to play for, they will have a role in who qualifies for next season’s Champions League, as they play Roma and Atalanta in their next two games.
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