MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to net 400 goals across Europe’s top five leagues but wasteful Juventus had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate at home to Genoa to end the Italian champions’ perfect start to the season on Saturday.

With eight Serie A wins and two in the Champions League Juve were all set to extend that fine run when Ronaldo put Massimiliano Allegri’s men into a first-half lead with his fifth Serie A goal in nine matches.

But Juve were made to pay for failing to convert a hatful of chances when Daniel Bessa headed in a second-half equaliser.

Though Juve’s lead in Italy was cut to four points after Napoli won at Udinese 3-0, coach Massimiliano Allegri believed this result would help his side for arguably their toughest test yet, Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday in Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford.

“We drifted out of the game after a good start to the second half and, instead of making it 2-0, we let them make it 1-1,” Allegri said.

“This isn’t good, because it’s with matches like this that titles are lost. After 10 minutes of the second half we were already thinking about Manchester. We needed to have more focus.

“But it’s a draw that serves us well. It’ll get our feet back to earth and help us understand that, to win matches, you need sacrifice and hard work.”

Ronaldo, despite the turmoil of explosive rape allegations that surfaced before the international break, scored in the 18th minute, ironically helped by a mistake from Genoa’s top-scoring Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek.

A communications mix-up saw Piatek leave Joao Cancelo’s blocked shot for his keeper, but the loose ball fell at Ronaldo’s feet and he tapped in to an empty net.

The 33-year-old Ronaldo has 311 goals in La Liga for Real Madrid, and 84 in the English Premier League for Manchester United. Lionel Messi is next best on 390.

Juve paid heavily for failing to kill off the encounter when Bessa headed a cross from Christian Kouame into the back of the net on 67 minutes.

Allegri responded by introducing Paulo Dybala for Blaise Matudi as a frantic finale beckoned with Genoa holding on for a surprising point.

Napoli cut the gap on Juve with a third successive win in all competitions and a third clean sheet in a row at Udinese.

Napoli, coached by Carlo Ancelotti who will take his side to former club Paris St Germain in the Champions League in midweek, were in front after 12 minutes on Saturday through a superb effort from Spanish player Fabian Ruiz.

Despite dominating the game, Napoli had to wait until the last 10 minutes to wrap up the points thanks to a Dries Mertens penalty and a strike from Croatian midfielder Marko Rog.

Earlier, AS Roma fell to a surprise 2-0 defeat at home to 10-man SPAL, who won at the Stadio Olimpico for the first time in Serie A in 53 years.

The hosts had beaten Frosinone, Empoli and above all city rivals Lazio and had been hoping to improve on their sixth place in Serie A ahead of Tuesday’s home Champions League game with CSKA Moscow.

SPAL, who came a highly respectable 13th in Serie A following promotion last season, went ahead with a slickly-converted Andrea Petagna spot-kick on 38 minutes.

A flashing header from Kevin Bonifazi finished off a corner on 56 minutes to make it 2-0 to the visitors for their fourth win in nine matches, losing their other five.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2018