Juventus 3-1 Roma: Ronaldo on target in Coppa Italia victory

Juventus beat Roma 3-1 in its Coppa Italia quarterfinal after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo, Rodrigo Bentancur and Leonardo Bonucci.

Published : Jan 23, 2020 10:17 IST

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal against Roma in the Coppa Italia.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal against Roma in the Coppa Italia.
lightbox-info

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal against Roma in the Coppa Italia.

Cristiano Ronaldo was on target as Juventus breezed into the Coppa Italia semifinals with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Roma on Wednesday.

Portugal forward Ronaldo opened the scoring at Allianz Stadium with his seventh goal in four matches for Juve in 2020.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Leonardo Bonucci then found the net to give the Bianconeri a three-goal advantage at half-time.

Roma pulled one back when Cengiz Under's effort from the edge of the box hit the crossbar and rebounded into the net off veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, but Juve comfortably advanced and will face Milan or Torino – who meet on January 28 – in the last four.

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri picked a strong starting line-up for the quarterfinal clash and after a low-key start his side increased the tempo to seize control.

The 13-time Coppa Italia winner took the lead in the 26th minute with a goal that owed much to Ronaldo's ability to finish from a tight angle.

Ronaldo escaped his marker on the left before cutting inside and guiding a low shot across goal past Roma keeper Pau Lopez.

Juventus added a second on the counter attack 12 minutes later when Bentancur, surrounded by six Roma players, squeezed an effort into the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.

Roma's defence was culpable for Juve's third on the stroke of half-time as the unmarked Bonucci calmly headed in at the back post after being picked out by Douglas Costa's cross.

READ |

Gonzalo Higuain hit the woodwork in the 48th minute and Paulo Fonseca's side reduced the deficit two minutes later. Under's shot from just outside the box struck the underside of the bar and went in off Buffon's hand.

However, Juventus stood firm in the closing stages to pick up a fifth straight victory in all competitions.

 

What does it mean? Juve continue treble challenge 

Juve's streak of four consecutive Coppa Italia titles was ended in a 3-0 loss at the quarterfinal stage last season by eventual runners-up Atalanta.

Against Roma there was a clear determination to secure a semifinal spot this time around and ensure its treble dreams remain on course.

With a two-legged last-16 Champions League tie against Lyon and the Serie A title to defend, the season is very much alive and kicking for Sarri's side.

Ronaldo remains relentless

A cup tie on a chilly Wednesday in Turin - you could forgive Ronaldo for taking it easy. Not a bit of it. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner turns 35 in February but remains as hungry as ever. His celebration after scoring was raw and passionate as he played the full 90 minutes.

One to forget for sloppy Smalling

It was not a game to remember for the on-loan Manchester United centre-back. Smalling failed to marshal a slipshod Roma defence and his positioning was poor in goals scored by Bentancur and Bonucci.

What's next?

Juventus returns to Serie A action on Sunday in a clash with Napoli, while Roma faces city rival Lazio earlier in the day in the Derby della Capitale.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment