Cristiano Ronaldo on Monday put Juventus on the brink of a ninth consecutive Italian league title after he scored twice in a 2-1 win over SS Lazio to become the first player to hit 50 goals in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League.
Juventus ended a three-match winless run thanks to Ronaldo’s second-half brace that moves them eight points clear of second-placed Inter with four games remaining.
Maurizio Sarri’s side could win the title tomorrow against Udinese, or on Sunday at home against UC Sampdoria, depending on their rivals’ results this week.
Photo:AFP
“We are missing four points. Only after we have achieved them will we then be able to think about the goal achieved,” Sarri said. “All the games are difficult now, and in the space of six days, we play three games. So, we must stay focused and think about securing the missing points.”
“Cristiano is an impressive player because he has the extraordinary ability to complete a quick recovery between games,” Sarri added. “Not only physically, but, above all, mentally: He is a champion with his feet, but also with his head.”
Ronaldo grabbed the first goal from the penalty spot just after the break and was handed a tap-in three minutes later by teammate Paulo Dybala.
The Portuguese has scored 30 goals this season, equal with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, who ended his three-match drought with a late penalty. Ronaldo’s second was his 50th goal in Serie A, after also passing the landmark in England and Spain.
The 35-year-old is looking to become the first player to finish top scorer in three of the top five European leagues after doing so in England and Spain.
“Records are always important, but the team victory is more important,” Ronaldo said. “I’m helping the team to win. It’s important to win the title. There are four games left and we know that Serie A is a difficult championship.”
Lazio’s hopes of a first Serie A title since 2000 are effectively over as the defeat leaves them fourth, 11 points adrift of the leaders.
Just one point had separated Juventus from Lazio when Serie A returned last month following the three-month coronavirus lockdown.
Simone Inzaghi’s side have been hit by injuries and poor form since the return, losing five of eight games, with four of those defeats coming in the past five matches.
Ronaldo stepped up to slot in on 51 minutes and added a second after a Luiz Felipe blunder allowed Dybala to gain possession with the Argentine powering up the pitch, before teeing up the Portuguese to finish off.
“There is a bit of regret, because after the lockdown we had a lot of problems,” said Inzaghi, whose side had beaten Juventus twice this season, in the reverse league fixture in Rome and the Supercoppa Italiana final.
“At the end of the game, I congratulated the lads because, despite the problems, we showed character,” Inzaghi added. “The important thing is we want to celebrate a return to the Champions League after 13 years.”
Lazio are in the final Champions League berth, 11 points ahead of city rivals AS Roma.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
RSS