• Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo before his team's 1-0 Serie A defeat to Benevento on Sunday, March 21.
    Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo before his team's 1-0 Serie A defeat to Benevento on Sunday, March 21.
  • Benevento's Adolfo Gaich celebrates after scoring the winner in Turin. EPA
    Benevento's Adolfo Gaich celebrates after scoring the winner in Turin. EPA
  • Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo after taking a blow to the head. AFP
    Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo after taking a blow to the head. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo goes for the spectacular against Benevento. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo goes for the spectacular against Benevento. Reuters
  • Benevento's Adolfo Gaich, right, celebrates after scoring the winner. AP
    Benevento's Adolfo Gaich, right, celebrates after scoring the winner. AP
  • Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo. Reuters
    Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo. Reuters
  • Frustrated Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa. Reuters
    Frustrated Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo shoots on goal. EPA
    Cristiano Ronaldo shoots on goal. EPA
  • Benevento players celebrate after Adolfo Gaich, right, scores in Turin. EPA
    Benevento players celebrate after Adolfo Gaich, right, scores in Turin. EPA
  • Benevento manager Filippo Inzaghi. Reuters
    Benevento manager Filippo Inzaghi. Reuters
  • Juve's Cristiano Ronaldo. EPA
    Juve's Cristiano Ronaldo. EPA
  • Adolfo Gaich scores for Benevento. EPA
    Adolfo Gaich scores for Benevento. EPA

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus look to reboot Serie A title defence in derby clash with Torino


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SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday

AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)

Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)

Benevento v Parma (5pm)

Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)

Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)

Lazio v Spezia (5pm)

Napoli v Crotone (5pm)

Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)

Torino v Juventus (8pm)

Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)

Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Serie A on Saturday with Juventus looking to reboot their title defence against struggling city rivals Torino.

Hopes of a 10th consecutive league title were rocked when Juventus fell 1-0 at home to lowly Benevento before the international break.

Juventus are third, 10 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, with both teams having 11 games left to play this season.

Ronaldo returns from international duty where his fury at a winner ruled out against Serbia was followed by joy at scoring against Luxembourg.

The Portuguese striker will play his sixth Turin derby, which could be his last, amid speculation of an exit from Turin at the end of the season.

The 36-year-old, Serie A's top scorer this season, has scored three goals in his previous five derbies, but just once at Torino in his first season back in 2018.

Just six points separate Juventus in third from seventh-placed Lazio in the race for elite European football.

The pressure is on manager Andrea Pirlo with defensive duo Leonardo Bonucci and Merih Demiral both testing positive for Covid-19 after international duty.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon will not be available due to his one-match blasphemy ban. Pitchside microphones caught the veteran yelling what was deemed an unacceptable phrase during a match against Parma in December.

Forward Paulo Dybala has recovered after nearly three months out with a knee injury, but there are suggestions he could be suspended as punishment for attending a lockdown gathering with Arthur Melo at the home of American teammate Weston McKennie.

It has been reported by La Stampa that Dybala, McKennie and Arthur were all at McKennie's villa in Turin on Wednesday evening along with 10 to 20 other individuals.

The trio have been fined by local authorities after the incident and it is expected they will also be sanctioned by Juventus.

Dybala acknowledged the report when he wrote on Instagram: "I know that at such a difficult time in the world with Covid it would have been better to not make a mistake, but I was wrong to stay out for dinner. It was not a party, but it was a mistake nonetheless and I apologise."

__________________________________________________________________

Gallery: Ronaldo loses his cool for Portugal

  • Cristiano Ronaldo throws his captain's armband to the ground after being denied a winner against Serbia on March 27. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo throws his captain's armband to the ground after being denied a winner against Serbia on March 27. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo cannot believe the decision to rule out his late strike at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo cannot believe the decision to rule out his late strike at the Rajko Mitic Stadium in Belgrade. Getty
  • Ronaldo shows his frustration after the World Cup qualifying draw in Serbia. EPA
    Ronaldo shows his frustration after the World Cup qualifying draw in Serbia. EPA
  • Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo argues with assistant referee. EPA
    Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo argues with assistant referee. EPA
  • Cristiano Ronaldo can't hide his frustration. EPA
    Cristiano Ronaldo can't hide his frustration. EPA
  • Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was furious with the decision to deny him a goal. EPA
    Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was furious with the decision to deny him a goal. EPA
  • Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action. Reuters
    Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action. Reuters
  • Portugal's Diogo Jota celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. AP
    Portugal's Diogo Jota celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal. AP
  • Portugal's Diogo Jota scores their second goal. Reuters
    Portugal's Diogo Jota scores their second goal. Reuters
  • Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring their first goal. Reuters
    Serbia's Aleksandar Mitrovic celebrates scoring their first goal. Reuters
  • Serbia's Filip Kostic celebrates scoring their equaliser. Reuters
    Serbia's Filip Kostic celebrates scoring their equaliser. Reuters

__________________________________________________________________

Torino, one point above the relegation zone, have won just one of their last 29 Serie A matches against Juventus, and that was six years ago.

"Against Torino it will certainly be a battle, because both of us need points," warned Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado. "The defeat to Benevento was very difficult to digest.

"During the break we worked hard and put fuel in our legs to finish the season in the best possible way."

Inter Milan are back in action at midtable Bologna after their match before the international break against Sassuolo was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak.

Antonio Conte's side are six points ahead of second-placed AC Milan, who take on 12th-placed Sampdoria.

Inter can count on the return of captain and goalkeeper Samir Handanovic from Covid while Bologna's Polish goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski has tested positive.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's AC Milan need to improve their home form to keep in the running for a first Scudetto since 2011, having not won any of their last five games in all competitions at the San Siro.

Atalanta, in fourth, equal on points with Juventus, host 11th-placed Udinese looking to hold off Napoli, who are at home against basement club Crotone.

Roma, three points behind Napoli travel to eighth-placed Sassuolo, after losing two league games in a row for the first time this season.

Sassuolo will be without their Italian internationals, Gian Marco Ferrari, Manuel Locatelli, Domenico Berardi and Francesco Caputo, "as a precaution" despite their negative tests, after an outbreak on the Italy team.

Giuseppe Iachini returns to the Fiorentina bench just over four months after being replaced by former Italy manager Cesare Prandelli, who resigned a week ago citing the strain of current football.

La Viola are 14th, seven points above the relegation zone, before travelling to Genoa, who have not lost at home in eight games.

__________________________________________________________________

Gallery: Torino 1 Inter 2

  • Lautaro Martinez heads home Inter Milan's second goal in their 2-1 Serie A win at Torino on Sunday, March 14. Reuters
    Lautaro Martinez heads home Inter Milan's second goal in their 2-1 Serie A win at Torino on Sunday, March 14. Reuters
  • Inter striker Romelu Lukaku under pressure from Torino's Bremer Gleison. AP
    Inter striker Romelu Lukaku under pressure from Torino's Bremer Gleison. AP
  • Torino's Lyanco after the match. Reuters
    Torino's Lyanco after the match. Reuters
  • Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring. AFP
    Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez celebrates after scoring. AFP
  • Torino's Antonio Sanabria celebrates after scoring. Reuters
    Torino's Antonio Sanabria celebrates after scoring. Reuters
  • Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku scores their first goal from the penalty spot. Reuters
    Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku scores their first goal from the penalty spot. Reuters
  • Inter Milan's Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez celebrates with Alexis Sanchez, left, and Achraf Hakimi after scoring. AFP
    Inter Milan's Argentine forward Lautaro Martinez celebrates with Alexis Sanchez, left, and Achraf Hakimi after scoring. AFP
  • Antonio Sanabria, left, partially idden, scores for Torino. AP
    Antonio Sanabria, left, partially idden, scores for Torino. AP
  • Inter's Romelu Lukaku, second left, celebrates after scoring. AFP
    Inter's Romelu Lukaku, second left, celebrates after scoring. AFP
  • Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku. Reuters
    Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku. Reuters
  • Torino's Antonio Sanabria celebrates after scoring. AP
    Torino's Antonio Sanabria celebrates after scoring. AP
  • Inter's Lautaro Martinez passes the ball. Getty
    Inter's Lautaro Martinez passes the ball. Getty
MATCH INFO

Everton 0

Manchester City 2 (Laporte 45 2', Jesus 90 7')

MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')

Barcelona 0

Sour%20Grapes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAuthor%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EZakaria%20Tamer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESyracuse%20University%20Press%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPages%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E176%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The candidates

Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive

Ali Azeem, business leader

Tony Booth, professor of education

Lord Browne, former BP chief executive

Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist

Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist

Dr Mark Mann, scientist

Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner

Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister

Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster

 

SERIE A FIXTURES

Saturday

AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)

Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)

Benevento v Parma (5pm)

Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)

Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)

Lazio v Spezia (5pm)

Napoli v Crotone (5pm)

Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)

Torino v Juventus (8pm)

Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)