‘I think it was the first time he was HAPPY to be subbed off’: Andrea Pirlo reveals Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t mind being taken off in win over Inter… because Juventus star would have been ‘chasing shadows’ for 20 minutes
- Andrea Pirlo revealed Cristiano Ronaldo was not annoyed at being substituted
- Juventus boss brought star man off with 20 minutes left in 3-2 win over Inter
- Hosts were down to 10 men and Pirlo insisted forward was fine with decision
- Win kept alive Juventus’ hopes of top four but they still need Napoli to slip up
Andrea Pirlo insisted Cristiano Ronaldo was happy to be subbed off in Juventus‘ 3-2 win over Inter Milan.
The Portuguese star was brought off with 20 minutes to go with his side down to 10 men and leading 2-1, as the Juventus manager looked to try and desperately hold on to the lead following Rodrigo Bentancur’s dismissal.
Although Inter levelled after 83 minutes, Juan Cuadrado netted a late penalty to give Pirlo’s side a crucial win as they fight to try and secure Champions League football next season.
Andrea Pirlo insisted Cristiano Ronaldo was fine with being substituted against Inter Milan
The Portuguese star was brought off with 20 minutes to go as Juventus tried to hold on to lead
This was Ronaldo’s 37th start this season across Serie A and the Champions League and just the third time he has been substituted, but his manager revealed after the game that the forward was not annoyed by the decision.
‘I think it was the first time he was happy to be subbed off,’ Pirlo told Sky Italia.
‘We were one man down, and he’d have been chasing shadows. He was happy and smiling in the dressing room.’
Before he was brought off for the first time since December, Ronaldo had put his side in front against Serie A champions Inter as he tapped home the rebound after his penalty had been saved.
Ronaldo scored his 29th Serie A goal of the season with a tap in after his penalty was saved
Juventus eventually secured a 3-2 win in what was a big win for their Champions League hopes
That was his 29th Serie A goal of the season and he sits well clear at the top of the league’s scoring charts, six ahead of Romelu Lukaku who equalised for Inter with a penalty of his own.
Cuadrado scored just before the break to give Juventus the lead before a second yellow card for Bentancur set up a nervy finish, but Pirlo’s men eventually secured the three points.
It moves them back into fourth in the table, two points ahead of Napoli but Gennaro Gattuso’s side have a game in hand against Fiorentina on Sunday.
The Old Lady are relying on Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli side to slip up in their final two matches
Juventus’ last game of the league season is away to Bologna next weekend, and they face the very real possibility of going into that relying on Napoli slipping up if they are to finish in the top four.
Should they miss out, it would be the first time since the 2011-12 season that Juventus have not featured in the Champions League, and would put even more pressure on manager Pirlo.
Before that huge match against Bologna, Juventus face Atalanta midweek in the Coppa Italia final.
Advertisement
