Udinese 1-2 Juventus: 5 Talking points as Cristiano Ronaldo brace rescues deposed champions

Juventus came from behind to win 2-1 at Udinese in a 2020-21 Serie A fixture. After Inter Milan ended the Bianconeri's nine-year league reign earlier in the day, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in six minutes to ensure that Juventus remained alive in the race for playing Champions League football next season.

Nahuel Molina opened the scoring for Udinese after Rodrigo De Paul's smartly taken quick free-kick allowed his compatriot to catch the Juventus defence napping.

Chances were few and far between for both teams, and it was not before the 27th minute that Juventus had their first scoring opportunity, which they squandered. After the break, Udinese looked to build on their lead, but Tolgay Arslan's left-footed effort sailed wide.

Just when it seemed that Juventus were heading for another disappointing outcome, they were awarded a penalty when Ronaldo's free-kick hit De Paul on the arm. The 36-year-old converted from the spot to restore parity.

Six minutes later, Adrien Rabiot delivered a peach of a cross, and Ronaldo got between two defenders to head in at the near post to complete Juventus' comeback on a bitter-sweet day.

On that note, let's take a look at five talking points from the game.

#1 Juventus can't seem to keep a clean sheet at the moment

Juventus' defensive frailties were once again exposed, as they conceded yet another early goal in the league this season. The Bianconeri were caught napping by the hosts, who adeptly pulled off something straight from a training routine to take an early lead.

That marked the 11th straight game in Serie A that Juventus failed to keep a clean sheet. In their last four games in this period, Juventus have conceded first.

#2 Juventus' title reign over, but top-four race hots up

Inter Milan' 2-0 win over Crotone, followed by Atlanta's 1-1 draw at Sassuolo gave the Nerazzurri an unassailable 13-point lead. That brought to an end Juventus' nine-season Serie A stranglehold.

The title race is over for the season, but the top-four race is not. Following their win, Juventus are now level on points with Atalanta and AC Milan.

With Juventus facing Inter Milan and AC Milan at home in the coming weeks, Juventus are well in the top-four race.

Also Read: 10 highest-paid players in the Serie A this season (2020-21).

#3 Udinese have only themselves to blame

Udinese dominated Juventus for over 70 minutes despite having a fragile one-goal lead. They had the better share of chances in the opening exchanges of the second half as well.

It was in the final quarter of the game that fatigue started to set in. Juventus began having the better chances in front of goal.

Juventus' perseverance paid off as they earned a free-kick in a dangerous position, which eventually led to their equaliser from the penalty spot. Udinese failed to mark Adrien Rabiot. The Frenchman was afforded too much space and time to deliver an inviting cross into the box for Ronaldo's winner.

#4 Cristiano Ronaldo overtakes Lionel Messi in the European Golden Race

Cristiano Ronaldo's six-minute brace took his goal tally to 27 for the season. Though Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is well ahead in the European Golden Shoe rankings with 36 goals, Ronaldo's brace took him second in the standings, ahead of his arch-rival Lionel Messi, who has 25 goals.

Ronaldo and Messi are the top scorers for Juventus and Barcelona, respectively and are also the clear favourites to win the Golden Shoe in their respective leagues.

#5 Cristiano Ronaldo is Juventus' saviour yet again

Juventus needed to secure a win at Udinese to keep themselves in the top four. The three teams are now level on 69 points, behind champions Inter Milan, and are only separated by goal difference.

Despite being 1-0 down for 80 minutes in the game, Juventus did not give up hope, as Ronaldo scored twice in the final six minutes to salvage a win.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a proven big-game player, and he demonstrated that once again for Juventus by scoring two key goals to keep his embattled team in the top-four race.

Cristiano Ronaldo is now on 99 goals for Juventus and is six clear of Romelu Lukaku in the season's goal-scoring charts.

About the author

Shubham is a football journalist with a wealth of experience. It was Zidane's infamous headbutt at the 2006 World Cup final that got him hooked on to the sport. Shubham contributed to the 2022 FIFA World Cup coverage at Sportskeeda, producing match previews and even minute-to-minute live blogs. Apart from writing articles, he is adept at fact-checking and researching trends, and at communicating with the editorial team.

For all fans, he has one message: "Football is my cup of tea, let's talk football over a cup of tea."

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Edited by Bhargav

Udinese 1-2 Juventus: 5 Talking points as Cristiano Ronaldo brace rescues deposed champions | Serie A 2020-21