MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo missed an open goal but in doing so inadvertently provided an assist for Mario Mandzukic to score as Juventus beat Lazio 2-0 in Serie A on Saturday. Juventus, chasing an eighth successive title, were left with six points from two games after a somewhat fortuitous win but Ronaldo was still waiting for his first goal since his move from Real Madrid. Miralem Pjanic rifled Juventus ahead in the 30th minute with a shot from outside the area before the Turin side added the second in the 75th minute in untidy fashion.
Joao Cancelo’s low cross from the right was partially intercepted by Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha but he only succeeded in pushing the ball onto Ronaldo’s foot. Ronaldo turned the ball towards goal with his right foot but his left heel blocked the shot which then rebounded into the path of Mandzukic who swept it home. The closest Ronaldo came to breaking his duck was with a vicious dipping effort on the turn in the 71st minute which was brilliantly turned over the bar by the Albanian goalkeeper.
Published in Daily Times, August 26th 2018.