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Ronaldo marks 1,000th game with record-equalling goal
ROME, Feb 23, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored for a record-
equalling 11th consecutive Serie A game in his 1,000th professional match as
Juventus extended their league lead on Saturday with a 2-1 win over basement
club SPAL.
The 35-year-old tapped in six minutes before the break to equal the mark
held by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored 25 goals in all competitions
this season for Juventus, including 16 in his current run of 11 matches.
Aaron Ramsey added a second after an hour, before Andrea Petagna pulled one
back from the spot for SPAL, amid controversy as the penalty was awarded
following a VAR review despite the pitchside monitor not working.
It got Juventus back to winning ways away from home after consecutive
defeats against Napoli and Hellas Verona, and ahead of next week’s trip to
French club Lyon in the Champions League last 16, first leg.
Maurizio Sarri’s side opened up a four-point lead on second-placed Lazio
who travel to Genoa on Sunday.
Inter Milan are six points behind the champions before their game at home
against Sampdoria.
“These were very difficult matches and in the last few years we had never
won here,” said Sarri.
“The test was to collect the three points, then from tomorrow morning we
will study Lyon thoroughly.
“The goal is the championship. The Champions League is a dream, even if in
life it is always nice to achieve dreams.”
Ronaldo had an early goal ruled offside but made no mistake when running
onto Juan Cuadrado’s low cross after Ramsey’s ball forward.
The Portuguese forward drew level with Sampdoria forward Quagliarella, who
in January 2019 equalled the mark previously achieved by Batistuta in 1994-
1995 for Fiorentina.
Both Italian Quagliarella and Argentine Batistuta went on to finish the
seasons as the Serie A top scorer after their feat, with both scoring 26
goals in total.
Ronaldo has 21 goals in Serie A this season, five behind leading scorer
Ciro Immobile.
– Milan held in Tuscany –
Ramsey doubled Juve’s lead on the hour mark, latching onto Paulo Dybala’s
pass to produce a scooped lob over SPAL goalkeeper Etrit Berisha for his
second league goal of the season.
Petagna pulled one back with a penalty awarded for a Daniele Rugani foul on
Simone Missiroli after 68 minutes, a decision made by VAR officials with
referee unable to check the faulty monitor.
“Today we had goals scored using VAR when VAR wasn’t working,” said Sarri.
“It seems to me a great injustice — if the monitor does not work, the
referee must decide.
“I understand that the regulation allows this and (referee Federico) La
Penna explained it to me, but I don’t agree with it.”
Ronaldo missed a chace for a second when his free-kick hit the crossbar,
but Sarri’s side earned a valuable three points against an outfit they had
failed to beat away from home in the previous two seasons.
Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini made his first start since being
sidelined with a cruciate ligament knee injury last August, playing for 55
minutes in Ferrara.
“We’re taking it slowly, seeing how he reacts,” added Sarri.
“He can’t play three games in six days that’s for sure.”
AC Milan missed the chance to move ahead of sixth-placed Napoli into the
Europa League places with a 1-1 draw at 10-man Fiorentina, to stay behind the
southerners on goal difference.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a goal ruled out in the first half for a handball
with Milan also losing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to a foot injury seven
minutes after the break with Asmir Begovic making his debut.
Ante Rebic scored his sixth goal in as many league games in the 56th minute
to give Milan the lead.
Fiorentina’s Dalbert was sent off for a foul on Ibrahimovic, leaving the
hosts a man down for the final half an hour.
But Erick Pulgar grabbed a point for 13th-placed Fiorentina from the spot
with five minutes to go for an Alessio Romagnoli foul on Patrick Cutrone.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0905 hrs