BEVERLY HILLS, November 01, (THEWILL) – Superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, back from isolation after his positive coronavirus results, came to the rescue of Juventus who were heading for a third straight Serie A stalemate. The striker netted a brace in their 4-1 win away at Spezia on Sunday.
In the absence of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Andrea Pirlo’s side were held by both Crotone and Hellas Verona. But, he finally tested negative on Friday and was cleared to make his comeback.
The Portuguese was still only fit enough to make the bench for the duration of the first period.
In that first half, Spanish centre forward Alvaro Morata, who had been denied three times by the offside flag against Barcelona in midweek, was grateful for a VAR review as he tapped in the opener from an onside position following American midfielder Weston McKennie’s unselfish square pass.
In a flash of déjà vu, however, a second Morata goal was ruled out as the flag was raised prior to the goal.
However, the next decision went against Juve as Spezia levelled. Italian central defensive midfielder Tomasso Pobega fired beyond Juve’s Gianluigi Buffon with the aid of a wicked deflection. The Bianconeri appealed in vain that Angolan centre forward M’Bala Nzola had made the telling touch while offside.
Late in the first half, a sublime last-ditch Julian Chabot challenge denied Juan Cuadrado in front of the goal line.
Pirlo did not wait long after the restart to introduce Ronaldo. The striker’s impact was immediate. He rounded Italian goalie Ivan Provedel from Morata’s pass to slot into the net to give Juve the lead.
Juve was to survive another scare when substitute Colombian right winger Kevin Agudelo saw a leveller chalked off after Buffon spilled Chabot’s header. Then, in the 67th minute, French midfielder Adrien Rabiot put the result beyond doubt, dancing through the Spezia defence and finishing via the post.
When left midfielder Federico Chiesa was clumsily tripped by Paolo Bartolomei in the box, Ronaldo took charge and clipped a cute spot-kick down the centre of the goal for number four.
The striker’s impact has never been in doubt. Juve are not the same side without the imposing presence of the Portuguese. Their draws in his absence and the draw this match was heading to are enough proof. The team came alive when he entered. They will require his services to keep up domestically and in the UEFA Champions League.
Juve return to action in Europe at Ferencvaros on Wednesday, while Spezia do not play again until Saturday’s trip to Benevento.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.