Officially out of the title race, Juve now focus on securing a Champions League spot for next season. Ronaldo’s brace takes the Bianconeri out of loss away at Udine and the team secure three points ahead of a tough last four matches.
STARTING XI
4-4-2
#1- Szczesny
#13- Danilo
#4- De Ligt
#19- Bonucci
#12- Alex Sandro
#16- Cuadrado
#30- Bentancur
#14- McKennie
#33- Bernardeschi
#10- Dybala
#7- Ronaldo
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Udinese grabbed the lead with just 10 minutes on the clock when they took a free-kick quickly that took the Bianconeri by surprise, Molina worked his way down the right before firing a ferocious effort past Szczesny. Goalscoring occasions weren’t forthcoming, with neither side rarely testing the opposing goalkeepers. The Bianconeri’s first chance of the game came in the 27th minute when Juan Cuadrado floated in a corner into the box, which met the head of McKennie who directed it just wide of the back post.
The Bianconeri continued to try and attack by taking most of the ball possession but were unable to make it past Udinese’s tight defense. De Ligt then made an attempt to shoot at goal but after it being charged down, he then crossed it into the box to Ronaldo, who directed his header narrowly over the target. The first half ended with Juve one goal behind.
The second half started uneventfully as well, with few real threatening chances from either side. A penalty was awarded to Juve in the 81st minute after De Paul was judged to have handled Ronaldo’s free-kick inside the box. The Portuguese took to the spot and he made no error in slotting it into the back of the net from 11 yards out. Juve level!
That goal spurred Juventus on and the Bianconeri then went on to find the winning goal in the 89th minute through Ronaldo, who headed in Rabiot’s cross at the back post, squeezing the ball between the post and Scuffet. Ronaldo’s brace makes a comeback for Juve, 3 crucial points earned for the Bianconeri!
AFTER-MATCH THOUGHTS
Pirlo: “We know that we have to qualify for the Champions League at all costs. We’ve got a team here – they’re strong and want to fight to reach their targets. They’re united, as shown by that embrace at the end, but this has to be a starting point because we have several important games still to play. My congratulations to Inter and [Antonio] Conte – they had a great season and they deserved it. For us, a cycle of nine straight league titles comes to an end and another one begins. We want to fight for the Scudetto again.”
Bonucci: “We picked up all three points today but this season is far from over – if we content ourselves with these 10 minutes, it means we’ve not got the message. We have to find the strength to reach the goal of Champions League qualification and bring home the Coppa Italia. Games are decided by moments – an early incident saw us give away a goal and the same happened to them. After so many games you have to keep your focus in those moments and on the details, which have cost us many points.
JUVENTINA'S THOUGHTS
By no means a good game, but not bad for this season’s standards. After all, the result matters and Juve were able to earn the three points. The next four Serie A games come in this order: AC Milan, Sassuolo, Inter, and Bologna. None of this will be easy, and with Atalanta, Juve, and Milan sitting at 69 points, Napoli at 67 and Lazio at 64, the Champions League spots are competitive. As for this match, Juve did some decent short passing and kept the ball controlled in the most part. Yet, a lack of creativity, inability to get past Udinese’s tight defense, and lapse in focus almost cost the team gravely. The MOTM has to be Ronaldo for this match, as his clinical penalty and brilliant header brought the team out of its misery. The rest of the team did fine as well. Though it is disappointing to lose a tenth consecutive Scudetto (to Juve’s biggest rivals, no less), there is no shame at all in winning nine Championships in a row. It’s a record that won’t be broken for a long time. To the very very end, fino alla fine, Forza Juve.
MOTM: Ronaldo
