Wins get Juventus, Sevilla back to third in leagues

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  • 2021-02-23 HKT 07:05″ title=”Cristiano Ronaldo (R) heads home the second for Juventus. Photo: Reuters”>


    Cristiano Ronaldo (R) heads home the second for Juventus. Photo: Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo (R) heads home the second for Juventus. Photo: Reuters

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Juventus got back to winning ways by beating bottom club Crotone 3-0 in Serie A.

Ronaldo could even have had a hat trick in the first half.

Weston Mckennie sealed the result after the break.

Juventus moved up to third on the table, eight points behind Serie A leader Inter Milan, having played a match less.

It was Crotone’s fifth successive defeat and left it eight points from safety.

Juventus was looking for a big win after a disappointing week. The Bianconeri lost at Porto 2-1 in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday, days after losing at Napoli 1-0 in Serie A.

Ronaldo hadn’t scored for Juventus since the start of the month. He came close on a couple of occasions before breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute when he headed in an Alex Sandro cross.

Ronaldo doubled his tally in first-half stoppage time with another impressive header, this time from an Aaron Ramsey cross.

In Spain, Sevilla comfortably defeated Osasuna 2-0 to extend its winning streak in the Spanish league to six matches and move into the top three in the standings for the first time this season.

Defender Diego Carlos and striker Luuk de Jong scored in different halves to help Sevilla move a point in front of fourth-placed Barcelona. Sevilla trails second-placed Real Madrid by four points and is seven points behind league leader Atlético Madrid.

Osasuna, sitting in 13th place, had won three of its last four league matches, including the last two. It is four points above the relegation zone.

Diego Carlos found the net with a firm header off a corner kick in the 19th minute and De Jong from inside the area in the 49th.

Sevilla’s nine-game winning streak in all competitions was ended by a 3-2 home loss to Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Sevilla’s next two matches are against Barcelona — at home in the Spanish league on Saturday and at the Camp Nou Stadium next week in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals. Sevilla won the first leg 2-0. (AP)