ROME (AP) Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties to tie a club record by scoring for a ninth straight game as Serie A leader Juventus bounced back from a rare loss with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday.
The penalties came toward the end of each half as Ronaldo - who appeared bothered by a bloody cut to his ankle during the pre-match warmup - matched David Trezeguet’s streak from 2005.
Ronaldo now has 19 goals in 19 matches of this season’s Italian league - only two fewer than he scored in all of last season.
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Matthijs de Ligt added another for Juventus in added time by heading in a corner.
Juventus moved six points clear of Inter Milan, which was visiting Udinese later.
Last weekend at Napoli, Juventus lost only its second match in the Italian league.
Cristiano Ronaldo tucks away his 10th goal of 2020 in just his 6th game.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 2, 2020
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Fiorentina, which lost its first match since Giuseppe Iachini replaced Vincenzo Montella as coach last month, remained 14th.
The Viola have not picked up a single point at the Allianz Stadium since the facility opened in 2011.
The first penalty was awarded after a shot from Miralem Pjanic hit the hand of Fiorentina defender German Pezzella. After the penalty was confirmed by the VAR, Ronaldo coolly slotted a low shot inside the left post before goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski could get there.
The second penalty came after Federico Ceccherini got in the way of Rodrigo Betancur, who was making his way through the Fiorentina defense. Ronaldo again sent his spot kick inside the left post while Dragowski this time leaped in the other direction.
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was exceptional early on to deny Fiorentina as the visitors threatened with several chances against their hated rival.
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