Milan: Cristiano Ronaldo converted a penalty to cap a dominant 3-0 win for Juventus over Fiorentina as the Italian champions opened up an 11-point lead on top of Serie A. Ronaldo slotted his 10th goal on Saturday in 14 league games from the spot after 79 minutes, to add to Rodrigo Betancur’s opener after half an hour in Tuscany with captain Giorgio Chiellini volleying after 69 minutes.
The Portuguese star was substituted just afterwards for the first time this season after receiving a yellow card spending the last 10 minutes on the bench. Massimiliano Allegri’s side have 40 points from 14 games with second-place Napoli on 29 points before they host Atalanta on Monday.
It was Juventus’ fifth consecutive win in the championship and 13th in 14 games, as they have won all their away games. ‘When you have such talented players in attack, they don’t need too many instructions and it’s important not to limit them,’ said Allegri. We just have to get the ball up to them.’
Midtable Fiorentina threatened in the second half with Federico Chiesa and Jordan Veretout but fell to their first home defeat this season. Stefano Pioli’s team has not won in the league for
more than two months, the last time on 30 September.
Juventus dominated the game before which tributes were paid to former Fiorentina captain and Italian international Davide Astori who died suddenly last March. Juventus threatened in the opening minute with Marco Benassi sending just wide. Ronaldo escaped a yellow card for his late tackle on Giovanni Simeone before Juventus took the lead with a solo run from Uruguay international Bentancur.
Fiorentina fought back but defender Chiellini doubled the visitors account with a penalty after Edmilson Fernandes’s handball in the area. Ronaldo slotted in the resulting penalty to go joint top of the Serie A scorers list before being replaced by Federico Bernardeschi after receiving a yellow card for his goal celebration.
Earlier, Slovenian winger Jasmin Kurtic scored headers in either half to rescue a 2-2 draw for 10-man SPAL against Empoli. Kurtic nodded in the opener for the side from Ferrara after five minutes. Francesco Caputo grabbed the equaliser after 24 minutes with Rade Krunic blasting in from a distance just before the break. Empoli dominated the second half with the hosts down a man for most of the second half after Thiago Cionek was shown a straight red card for bringing down Antonino La Gumina. Kurtic headed in the equaliser on 67 minutes for SPAL’s second point in their last five games, denying new Empoli coach Giuseppe Iachini a third consecutive win.