Roma 2 Juventus 2: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice to maintain 10-man Juve’s unbeaten start to the season

Posted Monday, September 28, 2020 by Thesun.co.uk

CRISTIANO RONALDO scored twice as ten-man Juventus held on for a 2-2 draw.

The Portuguese superstar, 35, rescued a point for Andrea Pirlo with a penalty before a gravity-defying header in the second half.

Roma 2 Juventus 2: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice to maintain 10-man Juve’s unbeaten start to the season
Cristiano Ronaldo's brace helped Juventus to seal 2-2 draw after Adrian Rabiot was sent off Credit: Getty Images - Getty

In a game that was initially slow to get going, it came to life when referee Marco Di Bello pointing to the spot after Adrien Rabiot handled a Jordan Veretout effort at goal.

Veretout himself stepped up to take the penalty, and managed to just about sneak his spot kick past Wojciech Szczesny and put Roma 1-0.

Former Roma keeper Szczesny got a big glove on the ball, but could only tip it onto the inside of the post and into the net.

Juventus themselves were then awarded a spot-kick in the 44th minute, again for a handball, which was duly converted by Ronaldo.

He kept his cool to expertly send Roma keeper Antonio Mirante the wrong way, and seemingly send the sides into the break level at 1-1.

However, in the dying moments of the first half, Roma produced a textbook counter-attack after a Juventus free-kick, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan teeing up Veretout to slot past Szczesny for his second of the game.

Roma went into the break leading 2-1 and with their tails up, with things getting even better for the hosts after Adrien Rabiot was sent off for Juventus just after the hour mark for a second bookable offence.

Rabiot’s sending off was the first red card brandished by referee Marco Di Bello since 2014, although he had little option but to give Rabiot his marching orders after a reckless challenge.

Roma 2 Juventus 2: Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice to maintain 10-man Juve’s unbeaten start to the season
Juve will play Napoli at home on Sunday in their third game of the season Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Edin Dzeko missed two guilt edged chances to put Roma 3-1 up and out of sight either side of Rabiot’s sending off, but both were squandered by the Roma captain.

His first effort rebounded off the post after excellent work to outmuscle Juan Cuadrado and take the ball past Leonardo Bonucci, but his finish couldn’t match the build up.

His second chance was even more clear cut, a square ball across the box found Dzeko unmarked in the area, but he could only divert his effort straight at Szczesny with the goal at his mercy.

With Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch Juventus were always in the game at 2-1, and so it proved.

The Portuguese superstar produced a trademark CR7 header to divert a cross into the net from former Manchester City right back Danilo and salvage a point for the ten man Juve.

There were still twenty minutes left of the game at that point, but neither side had a clear cut chance after Ronaldo’s goal and the points were shared.