Cristiano Ronaldo continues birthday celebrations with goal for Juventus in win over Roma


  • English
  • Arabic

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his birthday celebrations by scoring against Roma as Juventus moved up to third in Serie A courtesy of a 2-0 win.

One day after the evergreen attacker turned 36, Ronaldo put Juve ahead after 13 minutes with a low finish into the bottom corner from 13 yards to end a mini drought of three games without a goal.

It was his 16th league strike of the season – 23 in all competitions – that moved him two clear of Inter Milan's Romelu Lukaku as Serie A top scorer.

Ronaldo, who scored a double in their midweek Coppa Italia semi-final first-leg win against Inter, nearly added a second 10 minutes later as his deflected strike from inside the box struck the underside of the bar and bounced down the wrong side of the goalline.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also saw a chance saved by Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez seven minutes before the break.

Juventus' second goal came 20 minutes from time when Roger Ibanez turned into his own net while trying to stop Ronaldo getting to a Dejan Kulusevski cross.

The win on Saturday meant Juve overtook Roma in the table and move move five points behind leaders Inter, who beat Fiorentina 2-0 on Friday, with a game in hand.

Second-placed AC Milan are one point off top spot before hosting struggling Crotone on Sunday.

Napoli missed the chance to pull level on points with Roma, falling to their second defeat in three league games, 2-1 against Genoa.

Gennaro Gattuso's side host nine-time reigning champions Juve and Ronaldo next weekend.

"We'd prepared for this sort of game," said Juve manager Andrea Pirlo, whose side drew 2-2 with Roma the last time the teams met.

"In the reverse fixture, Roma employed the same tactic against us and this time we wanted to turn the game on its head tactically.

"Sometimes you can play well, sometimes less well. The important thing is to bring home the result. I don't know if it was the best Juve tonight but it was a great Juve.

"Morale is high. Defensively we're strong and we're more alert than we were before."

Pirlo has settled into his role at Juventus after a stuttering start to the campaign, with six wins in seven league games this year.

"You learn from matches and defeats. You learn something from every game, especially as it's so tactical in Italy and you can't play every game the same way," said the 2006 World Cup winner.

Ronaldo later tweeted: "Happy to score and help the team against a tough opponent! 3 important points!"

Meanwhile, Paulo Fonseca's Roma have still not beaten any of the other top eight teams this season.

Former captain Edin Dzeko returned after being sidelined following a falling out with his manager, but the Bosnian's presence failed to lift his side.

Roma are two points behind Juventus in fourth, having played one game more than the Turin side.

"We had more shots on goal [14 to three], more corners [nine to two), but it's the team that scores goals that wins," said Fonseca. "A player like Ronaldo makes the difference. That's why he's the best in the world."

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Scoreline:

Cardiff City 0

Liverpool 2

Wijnaldum 57', Milner 81' (pen)

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

RESULTS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6pm%3A%20Baniyas%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh97%2C500%20(Dirt)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20AF%20Alajaj%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%20(jockey)%2C%20Ernst%20Oertel%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E6.35pm%3A%20The%20Pointe%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Awasef%2C%20Pat%20Dobbs%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.10pm%3A%20Palm%20West%20Beach%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(TB)%20Dh82%2C500%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Long%20Kiss%2C%20Jose%20da%20Silva%2C%20Antonio%20Cintra%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E7.45pm%3A%20The%20View%20at%20the%20Palm%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C200m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Ranaan%2C%20Tadhg%20O%E2%80%99Shea%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.20pm%3A%20Nakheel%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh105%2C000%20(D)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Raaeb%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E8.55pm%3A%20The%20Club%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh95%2C000%20(D)%201%2C900m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Qareeb%2C%20Sam%20Hitchcock%2C%20Doug%20Watson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E9.30pm%3A%20Palm%20Beach%20Towers%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh87%2C500%20(D)%201%2C600m%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Falsehood%2C%20Adrie%20de%20Vries%2C%20Musabah%20Al%20Muhairi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5