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Parma 0-4 Juventus: Ronaldo at the double as unbeaten champions impress

Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata netted after Dejan Kulusevski scored against the club where he shone on loan, as Juventus crushed Parma.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus took out their frustration on Parma as the Bianconeri swept to an ominous 4-0 win at the Ennio Tardini on Saturday.

After a midweek draw at home with Atalanta, in which Ronaldo missed a penalty, Juventus were out to make amends on their travels and did so resoundingly.

Juventus, chasing a 10th successive title, drew level on 27 points with second-placed Inter Milan, who host Spezia on Sunday, and one behind leaders AC Milan, who visit Sassuolo.

Ronaldo scored twice to take his tally to a league-high 12 from nine Serie A appearances, going two clear of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku.

His efforts followed an opener from Dejan Kulusevski, the winger who dazzled on loan with Parma last season but now belongs to the impressive array of Juve attacking options. Another from that forward line, Alvaro Morata, headed a late fourth.

The visitors’ breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when Alex Sandro’s low ball from the left ran practically across the penalty spot, with the slightest touch off Morata, to find former Parma loanee Kulusevski. His finish low into the left corner was precise and the celebrations muted.

Ronaldo leapt supremely to head the second for Juventus three minutes later after Morata chipped a clever delivery into the heart of the penalty area, again from the left.

Juventus were dominant and almost had a third before the break when Leonardo Bonucci bundled wide after Weston McKennie headed Bentancur’s corner towards goal.

Head coach Andrea Pirlo had said Juventus were “a bit angry” with the Atalanta result, and they were making sure there was no way back into this game for Parma.

Ronaldo struck again in the 48th minute, with Aaron Ramsey releasing him to drive low and left-footed beyond Luigi Sepe from 12 yards.

Juventus thought they had a fourth goal when Matthijs de Ligt tucked in from close range after McKennie’s header was parried, but Bentancur’s corner that preceded the chances had travelled out of play before curling back in.

Ronaldo nodded wide from a corner and held his head in his hands, knowing a hat-trick opportunity had passed him by.

Morata’s late goal was a bonus for a Juventus side who remain unbeaten through the first 13 games of Pirlo’s Serie A coaching career.

What does it mean? Don’t get Juventus angry.

Juventus were mainly frustrated with themselves at failing to get the better of Atalanta, and they soon closed the door here on Parma’s hopes of escaping with any reward.

They dominated possession (62.4 per cent) and made it count, carving out 19 chances to Parma’s 11, in a performance that will have been noted in Milan. Stefano Pioli’s Milan and Antonio Conte’s Inter are out to halt Juventus’ nine-year streak of Scudetto triumphs, but on this showing that long reign might well continue.

Ronaldo the gift that keeps on giving.

He turns 36 in February but Ronaldo could have years left at the top level based on this season’s evidence.

He had five shots here and the two that found the target took the game away from Parma. The first was a trademark soaring header, and the second showed he still has that burst of pace that gives him a yard on any defender.

He gave the ball away 16 times – only Alex Sandro lost possession as many times – but with Ronaldo you take the rough with the smooth, and again the smooth here was something to behold.

Parma problems return.

Fabio Liverani’s team had gone four games unbeaten before this trouncing, and now they must regroup and tighten up. It was no surprise that right-back Simone Iacoponi was substituted on the hour mark, with much of Juventus’ devastation having been wreaked down his flank. Parma have won just two of 13 games, and it could be a long, hard season ahead.

Key Opta Facts.

Ronaldo became the first player since Omar Sivori in 1961 to score 33 Serie A goals in a signle calendar year.
– Juventus star Ronaldo is one of only four players to have scored at least 33 goals in a single calendar year in Serie A history; only Gunnar Nordahl (36 goals in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933) were more prolific.
– The reigning champions have scored at least three goals in two consecutive Serie A away matches for the first time since December 2017.
– Juventus have kept a clean sheet away from home in Serie A for the first time since last June, ending a run of 11 games on the road without a shutout.

What’s next?.

Juventus face Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday, while Parma wrap up their pre-Christmas programme on the same day at Crotone.

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