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SUPER LEAGUE: SERIE A CLUBS WANT AC MILAN, INTER, JUVENTUS PUNISHED

Eleven Serie A clubs have called for AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus to face consequences for their involvement in the failed European Super League project.

AS Roma, Torino, Bologna, Genoa, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Spezia, Benevento, Crotone, Parma and Cagliari co-signed a letter addressed to league president Paolo Dal Pino, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

The letter calls for an urgent meeting of the 20 Serie A clubs to “analyse the serious acts implemented by Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and their administrators, and the relative consequences”.

The three clubs are said to have “developed and approved the project by acting in secret” with “evident and serious damage” for Italian football.

“Furthermore, to date the same clubs have not yet formally communicated their withdrawal from the project, evidence of a possible and unacceptable relaunch of its creation,” the letter added.

The Super League project was announced on Sunday but fell apart within three days as most of the founding members pulled out amid a fierce backlash from fans, governing bodies and politicians.

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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC SIGNS NEW AC MILAN DEAL TO TAKE HIM TILL 2022

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the ‘Benjamin Button’ of Serie A, on Thursday extended his contract with AC Milan until 2022 which will take him past his 40th birthday.

The Sweden striker, who turns 40 in October, has been credited with transforming Milan into title contenders again since his return in January last year.

“AC Milan is the club for which Zlatan has played the most in Italy,” the Serie A side said in a statement. “After scoring 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri, the Swedish striker will continue to be wearing the red and black jersey next season.”

“The Saga Continues @acmilan,” Ibrahimovic posted on social media after penning a deal reported to be worth 6.5 million euros ($7.8 million).

Ibrahimovic, who helped the club to their last Serie A trophy in 2011, could be playing again at the highest level as Milan are in the running for a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2014.

“I feel very happy. I waited for this day and now I have another year, which is what is most important to me,” Ibrahimovic told Milan TV. “I always said, playing for Milan is like being at home. I love the way the club makes me feel, all the people who work here, my colleagues, the coach, the fans who I really miss in the stadium.

“This is like my home. If I can stay here for life I would.”

Ibrahimovic started his career in Malmo in 1999, going on to play for Ajax, Juventus, both Milan clubs, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.

Such longevity is usually reserved for goalkeepers or defenders and is rarer for forwards with the exception of Roma great Francesco Totti.

In Milan, “Ibra” has returned to form and even seems to have turned the clock back, regularly comparing himself to the fictional character who gets younger over time.

His return to Milan ten years after his first passage had been greeted with some skepticism.

Since leaving PSG and announcing his international retirement in the summer of 2016, he seemed to be in decline, and was injured at Manchester United from 2016 to 2018 before moving to Los Angeles for a season.

But he has proved to be a rock at the former seven-time European champions and a mentor for the club’s young players.

“Working with (Stefano) Pioli is really easy, he has the right mentality,” said Ibrahimovic. “Every day he has this energy that transforms the team and he wants the best out of us.”

Milan had an incredible 2020. Since the start of 2021, the team have lost some momentum and Ibrahimovic picked up injuries.

But he has scored 15 goals in 17 league matches played and remains one of the engines of this team. He has also overtaken the bar of 500 club goals scored and returned to play for Sweden, nearly five years after retiring.

Barring injury, he could be one of the stars of this summer’s Euro 2020.

Off the pitch, he has become a fashion icon, a model for a clothing brand, and the face of a campaign for mask-wearing in coronavirus-hit Lombardy.

One of the star presenters of the annual San Remo music festival in Italy he will also soon make his big screen debut in the next Asterix film.

But this does not prevent him from remaining faithful to his past reputation of courting controversy.

There was the standoff with Romelu Lukaku during an Italian Cup match where he faced accusations of racism for alluding to “voodoo” practices.

And he recently made headlines after being pictured in a Milan restaurant while the city was in lockdown, claiming to be there for a “work meeting.”

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IBRAHIMOVIC GETS TWO ASSISTS AND A RED CARD IN MILAN WIN AGAINST PARMA

Zlatan Ibrahimovic set up two goals but was also sent off as AC Milan won 3-1 at relegation-threatened Parma on Saturday to keep its small Serie A title hopes alive.

Ibrahimovic had a hand in both Milan’s first-half goals but was shown a straight red card on the hour mark. Riccardo Gagliolo reduced the deficit but substitute Rafael Leão sealed the result in stoppage time as Milan moved to within eight points of league leader Inter Milan, which hosts Cagliari on Sunday.

Milan is in a tight fight for second place with Juventus and Atalanta. Both play on Sunday.

In Parma, Milan got off to a perfect start as Ibrahimovic sent a throughball to Ante Rebic, who gathered with his back to goal, spun round and fired powerfully into the top right corner.

The 39-year-old Ibrahimovic was also involved in Milan’s second, a minute from the break. Theo Hernandez played a one-two with the Sweden forward and touched it onto Franck Kessie, who drilled into the bottom left corner.

Parma had a triple chance to get back into the match five minutes into the second half but Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma pulled off a double save to deny first Andrea Conti and then Graziano Pelle, and Juraj Kucka’s attempt was over the bar.

Ibrahimovic was sent off shortly after for something he appeared to say to referee Fabio Maresca and Parma got back into the match six minutes later. A ball was floated to the back post and Pelle nodded it across to Gagliolo, who managed to prod in from close range.

Milan held on and made sure of all three points when Diogo Dalot raced down the right and rolled across for fellow substitute Leão to fire into the bottom right corner, shortly after coming off the bench.

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SERIE A: LUKAKU, MARTINEZ LEADS INTER TO 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

Internazionale moved 11 points clear at the top of Serie A as Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez struck in a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Wednesday, the runaway leaders’ 10th consecutive league victory.

Belgium striker Lukaku guided a header into the top corner in the first half before his Argentine partner finished off a counter-attack to continue the Nerazzurri’s charge towards the title

Sassuolo dominated possession at San Siro but were frustrated by a stubborn home defence until Hamed Traore curled home a superb finish five minutes from time.

“It was very important for us, to climb up the table and increase the gap,” Martinez said after the match. “At the start of the second half of the season we had a talk, and now we’re doing everything that the coach wants.”

With nine matches left, Inter are firmly on course to win their first Serie A title since 2010 with 71 points, 11 ahead of second-placed AC Milan. Sassuolo remained ninth with 40 points.

The fixture was postponed on March 20 after a COVID-19 outbreak in the Inter squad.

The rescheduled date gave Antonio Conte’s side a chance to stretch their lead, and they wasted little time as Lukaku’s glancing header found the top corner from Ashley Young’s cross after 10 minutes.

Jeremie Boga was denied by a last-ditch Milan Skriniar block and Pedro Obiang’s shot was held at the second time of asking by Samir Handanovic, but the visitors could not make their 68% possession count.

The hosts hit on the counter for their second after 67 minutes, as Lukaku found Martinez with a pass and the striker arrowed a shot home.

Sassuolo found a way back into the match in style when Traore struck a half volley into the top corner.

Inter went close to a late third as Sassuolo pushed for an equaliser, substitute Alexis Sanchez’s lob landing on the roof of the net and Lukaku having an effort disallowed for offside.

Conte led the Juventus to the first three titles of their nine-year run, before taking over the Inter job in 2019 with the aim of shifting the balance of power back to Milan.

“To think that in two years we have made up so many points on the dominant force of the league for the last nine years, I could not have imagined it in my wildest dreams,” Conte said.

“It does not mean we are better than Juve, who have a very strong team. We rolled up our sleeves and started to work in an important way towards an objective, to be credible.

“The league was always dominated by one team and we have managed to change that. That has motivated us a lot, it was a boost for everyone, especially for the many guys who are fighting for this goal for the first time.

“Last year we played in a Europa League final, now we are aiming to achieve the maximum objective.”
ESPN

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SERIA A: LUKAKU PUTS INTER MILAN EIGHT POINTS CLEAR WITH WIN OVER BOLOGNA, JUVENTUS, AC MILAN HELD

Romelu Lukaku fired Inter Milan eight points clear at the top of Serie A on Saturday with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Bologna as title rivals Juventus and AC Milan were both held.

“Winning is a big step forward for us,” said coach Antonio Conte after second-placed Milan’s challenge faltered in a 1-1 draw with 10-man Sampdoria while champions Juventus were held 2-2 at city rivals Torino.

Conte’s side stretched their winning run to nine league games as they chase a first ‘Scudetto’ since 2010, having finished runners-up last season.

“Last year we nearly got there. The closer we get to the finish line, every victory becomes more important,” added the former Juventus and Chelsea manager.

Lukaku got his head to an Alessandro Bastoni cross after half an hour and bundled the ball over the line for his 20th league goal this season after Bologna’s young goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia had pushed out the initial strike.

Lautaro Martinez missed a chance for a second five minutes after the break when he rattled the post.

Inter next play Sassuolo on Wednesday, a match postponed from before the international break because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Milan club.

In Turin, Cristiano Ronaldo struck in the 79th minute but couldn’t stop Juve dropping further points in their bid for a 10th consecutive league title.

Andrea Pirlo’s side slip to fourth, 12 points behind Inter, and four points back from Milan, with a game in hand.

“We complicate these games all by ourselves,” lamented Pirlo with his team’s Champions League qualification also in the balance.

“We must push on, keep giving our all and try to secure our minimum target, which is qualifying for the Champions League,” said captain Giorgio Chiellini.

“We have another important match on Wednesday and it’s one we need to win,” he added of their midweek postponed fixture against European rivals Napoli.

Federico Chiesa had given Juventus the advantage in the 13th minute, but an Antonio Sanabria brace looked set to give the relegation-threatened hosts their first derby win in six years.

The Paraguayan nodded in the leveller in the 27th minute after Juve keeper Wojciech Szczesny had pushed out a long-range Rolando Mandragora effort.

Sanabria struck a second time just after the break when he intercepted a misplaced Dejan Kulusevksi back pass.

Ronaldo missed two chances before the Serie A top scorer finally got his 24th league goal this campaign following a VAR review when he nodded home Chiellini’s cross from close range.

The Paraguayan nodded in the leveller in the 27th minute after Juve keeper Wojciech Szczesny had pushed out a long-range Rolando Mandragora effort.

Sanabria struck a second time just after the break when he intercepted a misplaced Dejan Kulusevksi back pass.

Ronaldo missed two chances before the Serie A top scorer finally got his 24th league goal this campaign following a VAR review when he nodded home Chiellini’s cross from close range.

Milan’s miserable recent form at the San Siro continued in their draw with Sampdoria.

A terrible Theo Hernandez pass across midfield in the 57th minute allowed Sampdoria veteran Fabio Quagliarella to pounce and send a long-range lob over Gianluigi Donnarumma to claim his 10th goal of the season.

Claudio Ranieri’s mid-table side went a man down just after their goal with Adrien Silva sent off after picking up a second yellow card.

Substitute Jens Petter Hauge curled in the leveller three minutes from the end, with Franck Kessie denied a late winner after hitting the woodwork.

“There are no excuses,” said coach Stefano Pioli, whose team’s push for a first league title in a decade has been hampered by just two wins from eight home games in the league in 2021.

“Inter have the Scudetto (league title) in their hands. It’s theirs to lose.”

Atalanta are two points behind Milan in third after a 3-2 win over against Udinese which came thanks to a first-half Luis Muriel brace and Duvan Zapata adding a third after the hour mark in Bergamo.

Napoli claimed their fourth consecutive win, but not without a battle from bottom side Crotone who lost a dramatic contest 4-3.

Three goals in 33 minutes from Lorenzo Insigne, Victor Osimhen and Dries Mertens looked to have sealed victory early for Gennaro Gattuso’s side.

However Crotone fought back to 3-3 largely thanks to a double from Nigerian Simy the 25th and 48th minutes.

But Giovanni Di Lorenzo made sure the home side did take the win with his 72nd-minute strike.

Roma stretched their winless run to a three matches with a 2-2 stalemate at Sassuolo.

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IBRAHIMOVIC MAKES HISTORY AS AC MILAN EDGE FIORENTINA TO KEEP TITLE HOPES ALIVE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made Serie A history as he helped AC Milan beat Fiorentina and close the gap on leaders Inter Milan to six points.
The Swede needed only nine minutes to fire home the opener after springing the offside trap in his first league appearance since picking up a muscle injury against AS Roma on February 28.


The strike made him the oldest player to score 15 goals in a Serie A season, at 39 years and 169 days, and sounded the starting gun to a frantic encounter in Florence.

Erick Pulgar and Franck Ribery struck either side of the break to put the hosts in front, but goals from Brahim Diaz and Hakan Calhanoglu swung the contest back in Milan’s favour.
“The more time passes, the younger I feel,” Ibrahimovic told Sky Italia.

“After a defeat and going out of the Europa League, the league title is what remains. We wanted to win at all costs, we showed character and need to continue like this.”


Milan moved up to 59 points in second place, six behind Inter, but the league leaders have a game in hand after their match against Sassuolo was postponed following a cluster of positive tests for Covid-19.


Fiorentina remain 14th with 29 points, seven clear of the relegation zone.
Milan manager Stefano Pioli challenged his side to win their remaining 11 league games after they were eliminated from the Europa League by Manchester United on Thursday.

They got off to the perfect start when Ibrahimovic latched on to a ball over the top of the defence to fire in, but the Viola were soon level through a curling Pulgar free kick.


Fiorentina captain German Pezzella came close to a sensational goal when his backheel volley rebounded off the bar, before Ibrahimovic’s dinked finish also struck the woodwork.
The hosts went ahead early in the second half when Ribery fired home, but Diaz levelled six minutes later when he latched on to a knock-down from a corner to finish from close range.


Calhanoglu completed the comeback with a well-placed finish into the bottom corner, and Milan held out for their 12th away win of the season in Serie A, a joint record for the club despite still having five more away games to come.

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RONALDO’S FIRST HALF HATRICK HELP JUVE EDGE CAGLIARI 3-1

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a perfect hat-trick inside 32 minutes as Juventus bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit by beating Cagliari 3-1 away in Serie A on Sunday.

The 36-year-old striker found the net with a header, a right-footed penalty and a left-foot shot and celebrated by pointing to his ear in an apparent response to recent criticism.

The Italian champions and their Portuguese talisman were under pressure to perform after suffering a Champions League last-16 elimination against Porto on Tuesday.

They enjoyed a comfortable win despite Giovanni Simeone’s second-half strike for the hosts and are now third with 55 points, 10 behind leaders Inter Milan with a game in hand.

Ronaldo declined to give a post-match interview when asked at full-time and Juve captain Giorgio Chiellini faced the cameras instead.

“Our strength has always been to respond on the pitch and we did that today, Cristiano above all,” he told reporters.

“We played like Juve and as a team, with our strengths and weaknesses. But with this main ingredient we can finish the season well, we’ll see where we are by mid-May.”

It was Cagliari coach Leonardo Semplici’s first defeat since taking over in February and left his side in 17th place on 22 points, two clear of the relegation zone.

Ronaldo came in for widespread criticism and was linked by the media with a possible close-season departure from Juve after his disappointing display against Porto, who knocked the Turin club out of Europe on away goals following a 4-4 aggregate draw.

But the Portuguese forward was fired up for the trip to the Sardegna Arena and quickly made his mark by powering in a header from a corner after 10 minutes, a goal that means he has now scored in all 18 stadiums he has visited in Serie A.

Ronaldo was booked for catching goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face with a high boot as they both went for a cross, and the striker was then brought down in the box by the keeper and smashed home the resulting penalty in the 25th minute.

He soon had his third goal as he performed a trademark step-over before hammering a shot past Cragno to mark the second fastest hat-trick of his career, after the treble he scored in 20 minutes for Real Madrid against Espanyol in September 2015.

Cagliari pulled a goal back in the second half when Simeone fired in a low shot and Ronaldo had a big chance to score his fourth with the last kick of the game when one-on-one with Cragno but the keeper denied him with an excellent block.

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AC MILAN TITLE HOPES SUFFER SETBACK AFTER NAPOLI DEFEAT

AC Milan suffered a major blow to their Serie A title hopes as Matteo Politano’s second-half strike earned Napoli a 1-0 win on Sunday to leave the hosts nine points behind leaders Inter Milan in second place.

The Italian winger’s scuffed shot into the bottom corner after 49 minutes sealed a precious victory for the visitors’ Champions League qualification hopes, as they moved above AS Roma into fifth place on goal difference and two points behind Atalanta in fourth.

Milan struggled to break down a resolute Napoli defence and their frustration showed when substitute Ante Rebic was sent off for dissent in stoppage time.

Stefano Pioli’s side remain second on 56 points, but are now at risk of being dragged into the battle for a top four finish as Juventus are one point behind them in third and Napoli in fifth have 50 points and a game in hand.

“We missed a chance as it could have been an exceptional week for us,” Pioli told Sky Italia.

“We played a good game against a great opponent. Now we must think about the next game against a strong team in Manchester United, and then about Fiorentina.

“Inter have done very well since they were knocked out of Europe, but we’re just thinking about earning as many points as possible.”

Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso travelled to San Siro as an opposing manager for the first time after a hugely successful spell as a Milan player and two years as coach there between 2017 and 2019.

Milan looked to have turned around their flagging form last week with two impressive away results, beating Hellas Verona 2-0 before earning a 1-1 Europa League last-16 draw against Manchester United.

But they were without key players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Davide Calabria, Simon Kjaer and captain Alessio Romagnoli through injury and Pioli’s tired-looking side were not at their best.

Piotr Zielinski twice threatened for the visitors in the first half before Politano latched onto a pass from the Polish midfielder to fire in the decisive goal after the break.

Fabian Ruiz’s vicious half volley required a strong parry from Gianluigi Donnarumma and Milan’s appeals for a penalty in the dying minutes were waved away after referee Fabrizio Pasqua consulted the pitchside VAR monitor and judged that Tiemoue Bakayoko had not fouled Theo Hernandez.

Tensions boiled over when Pasqua heard something he did not like from Rebic and flashed a red card at the Croatian.

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SERIE A: INTER MILAN GO SIX POINTS CLEAR AFTER 1-0 WIN AGAINST ATALANTA.

Milan Skriniar scored the only goal as Inter Milan moved back six points clear in Serie A with a 1-0 win over Atalanta on Monday. Inter extended their winning streak to seven league games as they push for a first title since 2010. Antonio Conte’s side are ahead of second-placed AC Milan, who beat Hellas Verona 2-0 on Sunday, with champions Juventus 10 points off top spot, with a game in hand, after a 3-1 win over Lazio. Skriniar found a way through after 54 minutes sending in off fellow defender Alessandro Bastoni after a corner resulted in a scramble on front of goal in the San Siro.

“Knowing that the closest direct pursuers had won it’s inevitable that there was pressure, these are three important points,” said Conte.

Atalanta are fifth, outside the Champions League berths, and 13 points off top spot with 12 games left to play this season.

“We put in a great performance and lost on a corner,” lamented coach Gian Piero Gasperini whose side are one point off fourth-placed Roma.

“Against Inter and Juventus we always lack that little detail we don’t yet have, but we are close.”

In a clash between the two biggest scoring teams in Serie A the defenders decided the tie with Atalanta’s Berat Djimsiti giving little space to the Inter attackers.

Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martinez lead the Inter attack, the best in the Italian top-flight with 63 goals.

Atalanta are second best with 60, with forward Duvan Zapata starting up front, being replaced by fellow Colombian Luis Muriel for the final 20 minutes.

Chances were few in the first half.

Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello used his head to clear for a corner off a Cristian Romero cross after quarter of an hour.

Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic denied a Zapata header six minutes before the break and Marcelo Brozovic was cleared off the line just after.

Josip Ilicic replaced Ruslan Malinovskyi after the break for Atalanta with Conte sending on Christian Eriksen in place of Arturo Vidal.

And the Dane’s corner which resulted in the goal, Skriniar’s third in the league this season.

Inter threated a second just after but Romero slid in to deny a Lukaku finish just before the hour.

“One goal but we missed sensational opportunities,” said Conte.

“It was a very tactical match.”

Atalanta broke their four-match winning run in Serie A as they remain in the running in the Champions League and the Italian Cup final.

Inter are without European commitments with nothing left to target but the league and are next at relegation-threatened Torino.

Atalanta play at home against promoted Spezia before their Champions League last 16, second leg visit to Real Madrid.

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SERIE A ROUND UP: MILAN BEAT VERONA TO CLOSE GAP ON INTER, NAPOLI WIN

Rade Krunic and Diogo Dalot scored in either half as AC Milan beat Hellas Verona 2-0 to close the gap on Serie A leaders Inter before next week’s Europa League trip to Manchester United.

Krunic curled in a free-kick after 27 minutes with Manchester United loanee Dalot doubling the visitors’ account five minutes after the break to pull Milan three points behind Inter, who host in-form Atalanta on Monday.

Champions Juventus are four points behind Milan in third, with a game in hand, after claiming their seventh straight win at home, 3-1 against Lazio on Saturday.

Despite the absence of key players including star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Theo Hernandez, Milan kept the pressure on their city rivals two weeks after their 3-0 derby defeat.

Rafael Leao started up front in Ibrahimovic’s absence, and the Portuguese forward threatened after quarter of an hour with a header which went over the bar.

The breakthrough came when Krunic was brought down just outside the box. The Bosnian midfielder dusted himself down and whipped a 27th-minute free-kick past a stunned Marco Silvestri from a tricky angle for his first league goal in Milan colours.

Defender Dalot also got off the mark in Serie A five minutes after the break, blasting in an Alexis Saelemaekers cross.

Milan took a valuable three points before they travel to Manchester for the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie with United before hosting Napoli in the league next weekend.

Verona, in eighth, fell to their first home defeat since losing to Inter before Christmas.

Earlier Roma moved up to fourth, one point ahead of Atalanta thanks to a Gianluca Mancini goal, ahead of their Europa League tie against Shakhtar Donetsk in Rome.

Mancini jumped highest to turn in a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner after 24 minutes at the Stadio Olimpico, beating second choice ‘keeper Federico Marchetti who replaced Mattia Perrin.

Roma sit nine points behind Inter after the win.

“One more step is missing to beat the big teams, we need to improve because something more is needed to reach the Champions League,” said Mancini.

Bottom side Crotone ended their seven-match losing streak with a 4-2 win over coronavirus-hit Torino.

The Turin club’s last two games, against Sassuolo and Lazio, were unplayed because of a Covid-19 outbreak.

Earlier, Alvaro Morata scored twice and set up another as Juventus warmed up for next week’s Champions League game against Porto with a 3-1 comeback win over Lazio on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo started on the bench before next week’s key last 16, second leg game against the Portuguese in Turin with Juventus trailing 2-1.

Champions Juventus fell behind to an early Joaquin Correa goal following a Dejan Kulusevski passing error midfield.

But Morata set up Adrien Rabiot to pull the hosts level before the break with the Spaniard scoring twice in a three-minute spell before the hour mark.

Andrea Pirlo’s side are third, seven points behind leaders Inter who host Atalanta on Monday, and one point adrift of AC Milan who play Hellas Verona on Sunday.

“Today we started the game 20 minutes late but it was normal because many were out of position and many returned (from injury),” said Pirlo.

“But there was a great reaction, we didn’t get down and despite the many absences we played an excellent match.

“For us it was a final, an important match for the standings and we’re happy.” Paulo Dybala remains out injured along with defender Giorgio Chiellini and midfielder Matthijs de Ligt, while Rodrigo Bentancur positive for coronavirus.

But Juan Cuadrado started after missing three league games with Arthur and Leonardo Bonucci also returning off the bench in the second half.

Morata started up front alongside Kulusevski, with Ciro Immobile leading the Lazio attack alongside Correa.

And the Argentine pounced after quarter of an hour after Kulusevski gave the ball away, shaking off Merih Demiral to beat Wojciech Szczesny in the Juventus goal.

Szczesny denied Luis Alberto a second eight minutes later.

Rabiot pulled a goal back six minutes before the break, picking up a Morata through ball to fire in a powerful left footed angled drive over Pepe Reina.

Both sides had chances after the break with Reina denying Federico Chiesa, Szczesny clearing from Correa and a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic header rattling the bar.

Chiesa set up Morata for the second after 57 minutes with the Spaniard completing a brace from the penalty spot three minutes later after Milinkovic-Savic brought down Aaron Ramsey in the box.

Morata made way for Ronaldo for the last 20 minutes with Arthur and Weston McKennie also coming off the bench in place of Ramsey and Cuadrado with Bonucci coming on for the final eight minutes.

Lazio’s top striker Immobile threatened but was unable to add to his 14 goals this campaign, drawing a blank for a fourth straight game as the Romans fell to their third defeat in four matches.

“It’s a defeat that hurts,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi whose side’s hopes of Champions League football next season took a knock as they sit seventh, six points adrift of Atalanta in fourth place.

“We compromised the game alone, giving away an avoidable penalty. We made some mistakes and at Juventus, with some mistakes you don’t win.” Sassuolo’s Europa League hopes further dwindled with a 2-0 loss at midtable rivals Udinese stretching their winless run to three games.

Spanish forward Fernando Llorente scored his first goal for Udinese just before the break with Argentine Roberto Pereyra firing in a second deep into injury time.

Sassuolo, in ninth, have won just two of 11 league games played since after Christmas. Udinese are four points behind in 10th place.

Spezia snatched a 1-1 draw at home against Benevento, in a match between promoted sides vying to stay in the top flight next season.