Ronaldo sets new goals record as Juventus beat Udinese

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:18 am

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to set yet another goal-scoring landmark and help Juventus to a 3-1 home win over Udinese on Sunday that sent them back to the top of Serie A.

In-form Ronaldo, who has five goals in his last four games, took his tally for the season to 11 in 19 appearances, becoming the only player in Europe's top five leagues to hit double figures in all competitions in each of the last 15 seasons.

He struck twice in the first half before Leonardo Bonucci headed in Juve's third on the brink of half-time.

Ignacio Pussetto netted a consolation for the visitors late in the game.

"The most important thing was to win," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia.

"This is how we should play, with confidence. Individual performances aren't what matters, but the collective effort."

Juventus suffered their first defeat of the season at Lazio last weekend to surrender the lead to Inter Milan, but the champions put pressure back on Antonio Conte's side by moving one point clear at the top with victory at the Allianz Stadium.

Cristiano Ronaldo is back to his best for Juventus.
Photo by Giorgio Perottino - Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images

Maurizio Sarri's side have 39 points, but Inter can regain first place by beating Fiorentina away in the late game on Sunday.

Udinese remain in relegation trouble after falling to 17th place on 15 points, hovering just two points above the drop zone.

Gianluigi Buffon started in goal for Juventus to match Alessandro Del Piero's club record of 478 Serie A appearances, while Ronaldo was given the rare opportunity to start in an attacking trident alongside Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.

They needed just nine minutes to find the breakthrough when Dybala's deflected shot fell into the path of Ronaldo, who fired in a low finish from the edge of the box.

After Dybala looked to have made it 2-0 with a sublime lob only for it to be ruled out for handball in the build-up, Ronaldo scored again after 37 minutes, latching on to Higuain's through ball to smash a shot into the bottom corner.

The game was over as a contest by half time after Merih Demiral rose to head a corner towards the six-yard box, where Bonucci was on hand to nod in off the crossbar.

Ronaldo came close to a hat trick in the second half when his powerful shot was palmed onto the post by Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso.

The excellent Buffon was denied a clean sheet at the death when Pussetto prodded in from close range.