Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus came from behind to defeat Empoli
The Portuguese striker helped his team regain their winning feeling in Serie A when they defeated their opponent 2-1 on the evening of October 27.
After being held to a 2-2 draw by Genoa in the previous round, Juventus travelled to Empoli with a comfortable mentality after their victory over Man Utd in the Champions League. However, Max Allegri and his team encountered more difficulties than expected against an opponent who had not won a match since round 1.
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Ronaldo equalized for Juventus on the penalty spot. Photo:Reuters. |
Francesco Caputo gave Empoli the lead with a quick strike from 15 yards out from the penalty area. The move stemmed from a quick run by Afriyie Acquah from Empoli's own half when the team had a chance to counter-attack.
Behind, Juventus pushed their squad up high to find an equalizer. However, Empoli, last season's Serie B champions, played well, defending hard to stop the visitors' stars. Juventus continued to be without Mario Mandzukic in this match due to injury, with Paulo Dybala taking his place. It was a loss but also an opportunity for Ronaldo to appear more in the penalty area.
The former Real Madrid striker headed a shot into the box late in the first half but it went straight to the Empoli goalkeeper. Juventus soon made Empoli's goal wobbly early in the second half with two consecutive close-angle shots from Alex Sandro and Miralem Pjanic. Sandro's shot was saved by the goalkeeper and Pjanic's shot hit the crossbar.
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Juventus finished the first 10 rounds with 9 wins and one draw. Photo:Reuters. |
But the defending champions did not have to wait long. Under increasing pressure, Ismael Bennacer fouled Dybala - Juventus captain - in the penalty area. Ronaldo fooled the goalkeeper and equalized for his team from the penalty spot.
With 20 minutes left in the match, in a counter-attack, Ronaldo fired a cross-angle shot from 23 meters away, bringing victory to Juventus. The 33-year-old striker burst into tears after this emotional goal. This was Ronaldo's 7th goal in 12 matches for the "Old Lady".
With this victory, Juventus has 28 points after 10 matches, 7 points more than second-placed Napoli but having played one match more. This is their best start to a Serie A season, similar to the 2012/2013 season.
