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A Cristiano Ronaldo double helped Juventus secure a 2-1 victory over Inter in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg. In a tightly contested match, Cristiano Ronaldo proved to be the difference again as he scored a penalty and then took advantage of a defensive mixup from Inter to secure a vital first leg lead.
Things started promisingly for Antonio Conte's side as Lautaro Martinez gave Inter the lead after some good work from Alexis Sanchez and Nico Barella. However, Juventus slowly started to work their way into the match and they were awarded a penalty after a VAR check in the 26th minute.Cristiano Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot to level things.
Just a few minutes later, the Portuguese superstar showed his class as he made the most of a horrible Inter mixup to finish clinically from a tight angle.
Speaking after the game to reporters, Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo praised his side's reaction after going behind:
“We weren’t ourselves against Inter in the league, that was a slip-up, but it was also a valuable lesson and we worked on the mistakes that were made in that game.
“This is just the first leg, we haven’t achieved anything yet. What this does prove is that if we are fully concentrated, it becomes difficult for anyone against us. We know our strength.
“It’s not easy to maintain this intensity when playing practically every day. I saw a great reaction after going behind.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was taken off in the 77th minute after his wonderful brace and looked displeased with the decision. However, Andrea Pirlo defended it and praised his Juventus squad as a 'squad full of champions':
“I understand that Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t happy at being substituted, but it was only right to rest him for the upcoming Serie A game, even if just a few minutes. He could not have answered his critics in a better way than he did tonight.
“We have a squad full of champions and must make the most of that.”
Juventus will look to draw inspiration from this game and put in a similar performance when they take on Roma in the Serie A on Saturday. Inter, on the other hand, will be determined to bounce back quickly and hit back in the second leg of this tie.
Best Tweets from Inter 1-2 Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo is an absolute phenomenon
