Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus Move to Top of Serie A After Win vs. Inter Milan

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus move back to the top of Serie A after a 2-0 victory over Inter Milan in the Derby d'Italia on Sunday.

Aaron Ramsey scored the opener then assisted Paulo Dybala for the Bianconeri's second at the Allianz Stadium to put Maurizio Sarri's team a point above Lazio. Meanwhile, Inter stay third, with the Nerazzurri now nine points adrift of Juve, although Antonio Conte's men have played a game less than the leaders.

Juve made the brighter start in a stadium left empty of fans amid the Italian authorities' ongoing response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The game's first chance went the way of Matthijs de Ligt, whose header prompted a fine save from Samir Handanovic. It was the first of three stops he would make, with the Inter goalkeeper also denying Ronaldo and Blaise Matuidi.

Inter were content to strike on the counter, a ploy that almost paid dividends when Lautaro Martinez teed up Marcelo Brozovic with a clever touch. Brozovic aimed for the bottom corner, but Juve stopper Wojciech Szczesny was equal to the shot.

Brozovic had wasted an excellent chance, but it was Juve who still looked the most likely to eventually break the deadlock. The hosts' moment came nine minutes after the restart when Ramsey guided a shot beyond Handanovic.

Former Arsenal playmaker Ramsey has been searching for consistency during most of his debut campaign in Turin, but the Welshman is steadily becoming a player Sarri can trust:

Ramsey's burgeoning value was underlined when he played in Dybala to double Juve's advantage on 67 minutes. Dybala took his goal well to continue a habit of punishing Inter:

The away side's hopes for a comeback came and went when Alexis Sanchez teed up ex-Tottenham Hotspur schemer Christian Eriksen, who promptly put his effort over the bar.

Inter's frustrations boiled over when Brozovic was booked for bringing Matuidi down. Amid the protests, Handanovic's backup Daniele Padelli was sent off from the bench.

There was still time for Ronaldo to nearly scored a brilliant solo goal. Sadly, the 35-year-old's radar deserted him after a deft backheel presented him with a shooting chance.

Ultimately, Juve didn't need the luxury of a third. The Bianconeri had already comfortably kept Inter at arm's length and proved there is more to the attacking prowess than Ronaldo's goals.

What's Next?

Juve will be away to Bologna on Friday, while Inter host Getafe in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League last 16 a day earlier.