Sports
Again Ronaldo fails to score as Juventus beat Lazio
Cristiano Ronaldo made a winning home debut for Italian champions Juventus with Miralem Pjanic and Mario Mandzukic scoring in a 2 – 0 win over Lazio on Saturday .
Ronaldo , 33 , played a role in Mandzukic ’ s second goal of the night on 75 minutes after Pjanic put the hosts in front at the Allianz Stadium .
The five – time Ballon d ’ Or winner joined the Serie A champions from Real Madrid on July 10 in a 100 -million – euro deal but has yet to score his first competitive goal .
Juve have now won their opening two games after last weekend ’ s 3 – 2 success against Chievo in Verona .
Lazio — fifth last season in Serie A — have had their worst start to the season in over a decade following last weekend ’ s 2 -1 defeat at home against Napoli .
In the first home game for the seven – time defending champions , Paulo Dybala and Douglas Costa started on the bench , with coach Massimiliano Allegri opting for Federico Bernardeschi and Mandzukic to spearhead the frontline with Ronaldo .
Simone Inzaghi ’ s Lazio had ended Juventus ’ s two – year unbeaten home Serie A run last year, but apart from a Luis Alberto shot after an hour they failed to threaten .
Germany international Sami Khedira rattled the woodwork after 19 minutes for the home side , with Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha diving to keep out a Bernardeschi angled drive .
But the hosts broke through on the half -hour when Mandzukic knocked down a cross for Pjanic to power a half – volley into the corner .
Lazio ’ s Marco Parolo missed a chance to equalise when his header flew over the bar just before the break .
Ronaldo came close after 63 minutes but headed just wide after connecting with a Joao Cancelo cross and again threatened on 71 minutes but Strakosha tipped over .
Cancelo then set up Ronaldo for what looked destined to be his first goal for his new club , but the Portuguese star failed to control the ball in front of goal and Mandzukic fired home .
It was the first time that Ronaldo has not scored at the Allianz Stadium , having found the net three times for Real Madrid against the Italians .
Ronaldo ’ s next chance for his first goal will come against promoted Parma next Saturday .
Meanwhile , Carlo Ancelotti faces an emotional home debut as Napoli coach against old club AC Milan later on Saturday .
Ancelotti spent most of his career at AC Milan with the 59 – year -old winning three Serie A and four European titles as a player and coach with the northern giants.
( AFP )
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