Milan (AFP) – Mario Mandzukic scored in either half as Juventus came from behind to beat ten-man Napoli 3-1 and open up a six-point lead on Carlo Ancelotti’s side at the top of the Serie A table.
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo played a role in all three goals as Massimiliano Allegri’s side have a maximum 21 points after seven games.
Napoli are now on 15 points, after falling to their second defeat of the season.
“Ronaldo is enjoying his football, he has integrated very well,” said Allegri.
“He’s an extraordinary player, the passing is exceptional, and tonight was the best Ronaldo of the season, along with the high-level half-hour in Valencia.”
Ancelotti’s first trip to his former club got off to a promising start when Jose Callejon volleyed for Dries Mertens to open the scoring after ten minutes.
But Ronaldo set up Mandzukic to head in the equaliser after 26 minutes.
The momentum then swung to Juventus with Ronaldo looking destined to score but the ball bounced off the left post and into the path of the onrushing Croat who tapped in the second four minutes after the break.
Napoli were a man down after Portuguese left-back Mario Rui was sent off after 58 minutes for a second bookable offence.
Napoli missed a chance to equalise when Arkadiusz Milik set up Callejon but the Spanish winger fired straight at Wojciech Szczesny.
But centre-back Leonardo Bonucci got the hosts’ third after 76 minutes when Ronaldo headed towards goal off a corner.
Both teams are in Champions League action next week with Juventus hosting Swiss club Young Boys without Ronaldo who has a one-match ban after he was controversially sent off against Valencia.
Napoli play at home against last year’s runners-up Liverpool.
– Pellegrini revives Roma –
Earlier Lorenzo Pellegrini came off the bench and lifted Roma to a 3-1 win over bitter city rivals Lazio to revive his side’s stumbling start to the season.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s team had plunged into crisis after a 2-0 defeat to Bologna, but have now claimed consecutive wins for the first time this season after their 4-0 victory over Frosinone in midweek.
The win ended Lazio’s four-match winning streak in Serie A and lifts Di Francesco’s side into fifth just behind their city rivals with 11 points from seven games.
“We reacted as men today, which was what I had asked for,” said Di Francesco.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2NTRDIf
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