Cristiano Ronaldo should never have been signed by Juventus and the club must try to sell the superstar forward at the end of the campaign, according to former president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.

Portugal international Ronaldo joined the Italian giants from Real Madrid in a high-profile €100million transfer ahead of the 2018-19 campaign on a lucrative four-year contract.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner guided Juve to back-to-back Serie A titles in his first two seasons at the Allianz Stadium, but the nine-in-a-row Italian champions trail Inter by 10 points this time around with a game in hand to play.

Juventus crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage to Porto on Tuesday, having previously been knocked out by Ajax and Lyon in the quarter-finals and last-16 respectively during Ronaldo's time in Turin.

Sporting director Fabio Paratici revealed ahead of Juve's 4-4 away goals defeat that a new deal for Ronaldo, who failed to score in either leg against Porto, "is not on the agenda".

And Gigli, Juve president between 2006 and 2009, has hit out at Paratici for sanctioning the signing.

Asked if bringing in Ronaldo was the wrong choice, Gigli told Radio Punto Nuovo: "Absolutely, yes! I said that on his very first day at Juventus. He is a great champion but is too expensive.

"Now it's up to Juventus. They've been paying him €1m per goal. [Juve president Andrea] Agnelli must be self-critical, but he doesn't have great collaborators.

He added: "The club should free Ronaldo at the end of the season and the same goes for Paratici. Maybe Agnelli had promoted him to remove him from his position afterwards. This could be the scenario."

Gigli also questioned Pavel Nedved's position as vice-president on the back of Juve's latest disappointing Champions League elimination.

"I've known him as a great champion, but he is not capable of being the Juventus vice-president," he said. "They should think again about his role within the club.

"He didn't attend [Massimiliano] Allegri's last press conference and I didn't like that. I know they were not on good terms. He claimed he was abroad, but it's true, he was in Italy. He doesn't have the Juventus style."

Juventus won the Supercoppa Italiana in January with victory over Napoli and will take on Atalanta in May's Coppa Italia final, but Andrea Pirlo's first campaign as head coach looks set to go down as a disappointment.

"Juventus need a rebuild now," Gigli added. "I don't blame Pirlo. I hired [Ciro] Ferrara and it was not a positive experience. 

"Agnelli took a risk. He didn't want [Maurizio] Sarri but he accepted him because Paratici and Nedved pushed to hire him."

Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised by Fabio Capello for an "unforgivable mistake" as Juventus were eliminated from the Champions League by Porto.

The Old Lady were dumped out of Europe's elite competition on Tuesday as their 3-2 victory after extra-time in Turin saw Porto qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals with the tie level at 4-4 on aggregate.

On a rollercoaster night at Allianz Stadium, Juve were left with an uphill battle after Sergio Oliveira's 19th-minute penalty had Porto 3-1 up in the tie, before a brace from Federico Chiesa early in the second half initially spared the hosts.

That was enough to take the game to extra-time – Mehdi Taremi's sending off in the 54th minute seemingly giving Andrea Pirlo's men the edge – but an Oliveira free-kick made it 2-2 on the day and gave Juve too much to do despite Adrien Rabiot's header two minutes later.

Oliveira's decisive strike went straight through the Juve wall, with the ball going between Ronaldo's legs as he sheepishly turned his back on the effort, and former Bianconeri boss Capello was infuriated.

"Cristiano Ronaldo then cannot go in the wall like this," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"Whoever is in the wall should not be afraid of the ball, but they must be aware that they can be hit by it.

"He turned around and this is an unforgivable mistake that has no excuses. It was a very serious mistake."

Capello then castigated the so-called leaders in the Juve dressing room, pointing the finger at them for not coming out to face the media and explain themselves, with Chiesa and Matthijs de Ligt the individuals who took part in post-match duties.

"At certain moments the captain and the elders have to show their faces," he said. "Instead they sent Chiesa. They [the "elders"] showed up when they won the games."

Elimination left Andrea Pirlo's tenure with a poor outlook only worsened by their fortunes in Serie A, with the defending champions 10 points adrift of leaders Inter – even if they win their game in hand, the Old Lady will have a significant gap to claw back.

Capello now suspects the Juve hierarchy regret ushering Massimiliano Allegri out the door in 2019.

"The much-maligned Allegri won championships and made two Champions League finals and what he did was never highlighted," Capello continued.

"It was said that there was a need for a different brand of football, but when you try to do different things you often go towards things that are not always pleasant and positive."

Juventus winger Federico Chiesa insists the Bianconeri did not deserve to be eliminated from the Champions League by Porto, adamant they did enough to progress.

The Old Lady were dumped out of Europe's elite competition on Tuesday as their 3-2 victory after extra-time in Turin saw Porto qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals with the tie level at 4-4 on aggregate.

On a rollercoaster night at Allianz Stadium, Juve were left with an uphill battle after Sergio Oliveira's 19th-minute penalty had Porto 3-1 up in the tie, but a brace from Chiesa early in the second half initially spared the hosts.

In doing so, Chiesa became the first Italian to score twice in a Champions League knockout game for Juve since Filippo Inzaghi in April 1999.

And it was enough to take the game to extra-time – Mehdi Taremi's sending off in the 54th minute seemingly giving Andrea Pirlo's men the edge.

But a Sergio Oliveira free-kick made it 2-2 on the day and gave Juve too much to do despite Adrien Rabiot's header two minutes later, and Chiesa was left exasperated.

"I don't take any positives from this," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I wanted us to go through and we have great regret because after the first half, we did enough to deserve to qualify – from the many chances to Juan Cuadrado's shot hitting the crossbar.

"When you don't qualify, you have to analyse what happened, but it feels to me that we had a different mentality in the second half and we deserved to qualify.

"We wanted to be in the quarter-finals, but we're not. Now we have to focus on Serie A and the Coppa Italia."

The elimination leaves Juve's season with a rather bleak outlook considering there are 10 points adrift of leaders Inter in the Serie A table. Even if they win their game in hand, they will still have a significant gap to claw back.

Matthijs de Ligt acknowledged getting dumped out of the competition is difficult to digest, particularly after playing over an hour of the 120 minutes on Tuesday with a numerical advantage.

"This is tough, yes, really tough," he added. "When you're playing against 10 men for almost the whole match, it's always difficult to take when you then go out in this manner.

"I don't think we started poorly. Porto went ahead and then we started playing, so that was too late. We did well in the second half with our pace, creating chances, getting two goals, but ultimately the ball didn't go in the net [enough].

"Of course, this changes our season because we wanted to be in the Champions League and now we are out in March. This is very difficult for us."

Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao was not asked any questions by the media in his post-match news conference, despite the club's stunning triumph against Juventus in the Champions League.

Juventus beat 10-man Porto 3-2 after extra time on Tuesday, but the Portuguese powerhouse still advanced to the quarter-finals 4-4 on away goals.

Federico Chiesa scored a second-half brace for Juve and Adrien Rabiot headed home after Sergio Oliveira's second goal to set up a grandstand finish, but the Italian giants fell short at home in Turin.

It marked the first time Porto progressed from a Champions League knockout tie after winning the first leg since 2003-04.

But Conceicao left his post-match news conference without making any comments – no Portuguese journalists were on the Zoom call to discuss the memorable victory.

However, Conceicao did speak to UEFA about Porto's success after Mehdi Taremi was sent off for two bookable offences nine minutes into the second half.

"These games are marked in the history of the club. The players dignified the fans with the passion they have," Conceicao told UEFA.com.

"The players managed to get the true essence and true DNA of FC Porto. Their incredible determination and spirit of sacrifice touched me.

"I have a group of brave players who interpreted what we wanted in the best way, against a great team with players of a very high level. We suffered but also created difficulties for Juventus. We were a real team.

"Congratulations to the players, they did a fantastic job. After Taremi's expulsion, we showed the FC Porto DNA. We never stopped believing – this is the true DNA of FC Porto."

Porto's starting XI against Juventus was the second oldest in their Champions League history (29 years and 16 days), behind only their match with Barcelona in March 2000 (29 years and 86 days).

Andrea Pirlo said he has not received reassurances over his Juventus future, rather confirmation from the president that the "project has just started" in Turin following the club's Champions League last-16 exit at the hands of Porto.

Juve crashed out of the Champions League in the round-of-16 stage for the second consecutive season – the Serie A titleholders bowing out 4-4 on away goals despite beating 10-man Porto 3-2 after extra time on Tuesday.

Federico Chiesa scored a second-half brace for Juve and Adrien Rabiot headed home after Sergio Oliveira's second goal to set up a grandstand finish, but the Italian giants fell short.

For the first time in the European Cup/Champions League, Juventus have been eliminated in the last 16 for two consecutive seasons as pressure mounts on first-year head coach Andrea Pirlo.

Pirlo, who replaced Maurizio Sarri at the start of the season, also finds his Juve side third in Serie A and 10 points adrift of leaders Inter.

Asked about his future and whether he had spoken to Juve president Andrea Agnelli, Pirlo told reporters: "The president didn't reassure me. He just confirmed that this project has just started.

"I'm absolutely calm about the future, I'm sure we will go forward together. We just started last summer. All players that joined Juventus last summer have showed that they have what you need to play at this level. So I'm sure we can do better in the next future."

Juventus failed to progress from the knockout stage of the Champions League after extra time for the first time since 2016.

"I spoke with the president after the game and we spoke about the game and what we need to do to improve in the future," Pirlo added. "We started well the game tonight. We had an occasion to score with [Alvaro] Morata but we missed it and then we conceded the first goal.

"After their goal we suffered, we were too long and also psychologically we were not in the game thinking that was too hard to come back. In the second half instead we played with a different approach and we were able to overturn the result. We were unlucky in some episodes and in the end we made another mistake that costed us the qualification."

Cristiano Ronaldo fired a blank as Juventus bowed out on Tuesday – a result that immediately cast doubt over the 36-year-old's future with the Bianconeri.

Juve have not advanced past the quarter-finals since five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo arrived from Real Madrid in 2018, having finished runners-up in two of the previous four seasons prior to his blockbuster signing.

Aside from his assist for Chiesa's first goal, Ronaldo was largely subdued against Porto, but Pirlo defended the five-time Champions League winner.

"When Ronaldo plays in Champions League usually is like your team begin the game one goal ahead of your opponent. But it can happen even to an extraordinary player like him not to be able to score," Pirlo said.

"Federico scored twice and played a great much. Also a champion like him [Cristiano] can have a bad game. He fought a lot tonight but unfortunately he didn't lead us to go through the next stage this time."

Juventus only had themselves to blame as they crashed out of the Champions League on away goals to 10-man Porto, according to head coach Andrea Pirlo.

A thrilling tie finished 4-4 on aggregate after extra time in Turin, but a 115th-minute free-kick from Sergio Oliveira – who opened the scoring with a first-half penalty – meant Porto progressed despite losing 3-2 on the night.

The brilliant Federico Chiesa scored a second-half brace for Juve and Adrien Rabiot headed home after Oliveira's second to set up a grandstand finish.

But it was not enough, as Cristiano Ronaldo again drew a blank when faced with long-time international team-mate Pepe at the heart of a dogged Porto defence.

Pirlo felt Juventus failing to show similar robust qualities over the course of the tie cost them dear.

"We made four mistakes in two games," he told Sky Sport.

"When you make a mistake four times in the first knockout round of the Champions League, it is normal that you go out.

"We had a good start, there was immediately an opportunity for [Alvaro] Morata. 

"We did not score and the incident in the area cost us an error and a penalty kick. Then we could have conceded another but in the second half we did well."

Juventus had greater control after the interval, although that was aided by Porto striker Mehdi Taremi being sent off for two bookings in quick succession after Chiesa's equaliser.

Further questions will now be asked over rookie coach Pirlo's suitability for one of the top jobs in European football.

Inter are 10 points clear of Juve in Serie A having played a game more, with the Bianconeri's grip on the Scudetto looking far looser than it has at any other time over the past decade.

"It will take a few days [to get over the Porto game]," Pirlo added. 

"We have to focus on the championship by facing every match in the best possible way, to try to move up the table." 

Around the time Massimiliano Allegri guided them to Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017, there would have been a sense of inevitability in any game where Juventus needed a 1-0 home win.

They would approach task with confidence and efficiency and probably win 1-0.

Andrea Pirlo's Juve needed a 1-0 win to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday but had not won a single game by that margin all season. They ended up going out on away goals to 10-man Porto after a thrilling and unwieldly slugfest.

Holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg at Estadio do Dragao. Sergio Conceicao's side lined up with something approaching a back six whenever they were out of possession.

Before the opening half hour was up in Turin, they had managed eight shots and were ahead through Sergio Oliveira's emphatically dispatched spot-kick.

Juve were a rabble. A shadow of the sleek winning machine under Allegri and every inch a team on their way to relinquishing a decade of domestic dominance in Serie A. 

In the years since a judiciously run sporting operation decided to go Galactico, the team beaten by Barcelona and Real Madrid in their most recent final appearances have bowed out to Ajax, Lyon and Porto – each time failing to get the job done on home turf in the second leg.

If this is how Andrea Agnelli oversees the rebuild of a great squad, perhaps UEFA should think twice before letting him revamp the entire Champions League.

No six appeal for Ronaldo

Of course, it is not all Cristiano Ronaldo's fault. He entered the match with 10 goals in as many Champions League home games for Juventus. Were it not for his stunning hat-trick against Atletico Madrid in 2019, they would have three consecutive last-16 exits to their name.

But in a career full of vintage nights, this was nothing of the sort for the five-time Champions League winner.

Ronaldo failed to touch the ball in the Porto area during the first half, missed a glorious chance to head a decisive goal from one of many sumptuous Juan Cuadrado crosses and turned meekly away as Oliveira's drilled free-kick went through the wall and beyond Wojciech Szezesny.

Adrien Rabiot headed home Federico Bernardeschi's corner to set up a grandstand finish and give Juve a joyless 3-2 win on the night, but Oliveira's unlikely brace proved decisive.

For Ronaldo and Juventus, the dream was over. As Erling Haaland continued his phenomenal goalscoring feats in Borussia Dortmund's similarly unhinged aggregate win over Sevilla and on the eve of Kylian Mbappe probably putting Barcelona and Lionel Messi out of their misery, the era might also be over.

Chiesa shows his class

Whoever the leading lights of the next generation prove to be, Federico Chiesa looks worthy of being part of the conversation.

The 23-year-old winger entered this game with two goals and as many assists in his past five outings, including Juve's vital away goal in Porto. He left it having produced a magnificent breakout performance on the biggest stage.

With Ronaldo missing in action, it was Chiesa and Alvaro Morata who took the fight to the visitors, the latter drawing a couple of superb saves from Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin.

Four minutes into the second half, Ronaldo found a touch inside the area and an exquisite one at that. The lay-off was into Chiesa's stride and he opened his body expertly to stroke home.

Then a game that had cracked with low-level excitement exploded into a cacophony of incident and near chaos.

Taremi, such a nuisance to Juve during the first period, became a maddening inconvenience to his own team with two bookings in as many minute – the second for booting the ball away. Everyone can hear the referee's whistle nowadays, Mehdi.

Chiesa looked to have smuggled his and Juve's second, only for the monumental Pepe to hurl his body towards the ball with all the composure of someone trying to smother a live grenade. It hit the post and went wide.

Juventus's most dangerous attacker got a goal more in keeping with the beauty of his overall performance, arriving late at the back post to head Cuadrado's delicious right-wing cross into the top corner.

Chiesa then skipped effortlessly past Jesus Corona, although Marchesin stood firm to prevent the hat-trick. He was more than worthy of the matchball and the win.

In this muddled present dwarfed by a towering recent past, Chiesa provides measure of comfort and a promise of better days ahead for Juve.

Pirlo appears to have passed up his chance of being a part of those, while the clock is louder than ever before on the great Ronaldo – humbled by his dogged and defiant countrymen.

Sergio Oliveira scored twice as 10-man Porto dumped Juventus out of the Champions League with a scintillating away goals victory after a 3-2 second-leg defeat in Turin.

Juventus' task of overturning a 2-1 deficit from the first leg was compounded when Oliveira's penalty gave Porto a the lead after 19 minutes, but Federico Chiesa netted twice in 14 second-half minutes - either side of a red card shown to Porto striker Mehdi Taremi - to take the round-of-16 tie into extra-time.

Oliveira buried a stunning second goal of the night with five minutes left in the second period of extra-time, only for Adrien Rabiot to equalise and set up a tense finish.

Porto held on to spark wild celebrations on the visiting bench as Juve's quest for a first European title since 1996 ended in failure, heaping pressure on head coach Andrea Pirlo.

Matthijs de Ligt has put to bed suggestions he could have joined Manchester United in 2019, insisting they were never an option when he signed for Juventus in order to learn from the world's best defenders.

Despite only being 21, De Ligt is already something of a household name in European football, having come through the ranks at Ajax and earned himself a reputation as arguably the best young defender in the world.

His rise was rapid and impressive at Ajax, at the time becoming the youngest player to play a major European final, the club's youngest ever captain and the first recipient of the Golden Boy award – given to the best under-21 player in Europe – to be a defender.

Much of the praise De Ligt was afforded during his early days at Ajax related to his ability on the ball, with many expecting him to join Barcelona such were his technical talents, although United were also said to be in the running.

Therefore, his move to Juve came as something of a surprise initially, but he is adamant United - linked again more recently - have never made an approach and the switch to Turin made sense in the context of his dream to be the world's best defender.

"Honestly, I never heard anything from them [United]," De Ligt told the Telegraph.

"It was like you did at school, like with mathematics. It was a long process. You put the pros and the cons and, in the end, I chose Juventus."

While De Ligt arguably has not quite hit the heights most were expecting yet, with injuries proving disruptive this season, he has been showing clear signs of progress.

Although restricted to just 21 appearances in all competitions this term – partly due to a shoulder problem that kept him sidelined for three months – the Dutchman seems to have improved across the board.

His touches (86.8 from 70.8), attempted passes (76 from 61.1), completed passes (69.6 from 55.7), successful passes in the opposing half (25.1 from 20.2), tackles won (1.2 from 0.6) and interceptions (1.6 from 0.9) are all up significantly on a per-90-minute basis from last term, showing De Ligt is enjoying more influence in his second season.

"If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere," he continued. "I'm where I want to be and where I can learn as much as possible. There are experienced guys – [Giorgio] Chiellini, [Leonardo] Bonucci – but also a goalkeeper like [Gianluigi] Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo.

"We all have our different characteristics, and I do not try and copy them, but I look at Ronaldo and see what he does, how he stays fit all the time.

"I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In the end you find your own rhythm."

Buffon returned to Juve around the same time De Ligt signed, having spent 2018-19 at Paris Saint-Germain, and is still going at the grand age of 43.

He is now just 24 matches behind Alessandro Del Piero's record of 705 appearances for the club, yet despite his longevity and age, De Ligt insists mentally he is as sharp as a player in his prime.

"Well, he could be my father!" De Ligt quipped. "It's funny because when I see him and the way he behaves, I don't think he's twice my age and that's also his strength and why he is still playing. He plays with a head like a 29-year-old."

Andrea Pirlo wants his Juventus side to be "clever" and "patient" as they seek to overcome a slender deficit against Porto and claim a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mehdi Taremi and Moussa Marega caught Juve cold at the start of each half at Estadio do Dragao last month.

Federico Chiesa reduced the arrears late on, although the fact that was the first time Porto had conceded in six Champions League matches underlined the scale of the task still to come in Turin on Tuesday.

"The result is open, we will have to be clever in knowing how to manage the match to obtain qualification," Pirlo told a pre-match news conference.

"It is a decisive match for our Champions League campaign."

 "We will have to play a very technical game, because we will face a very compact team, with two very narrow lines and with little space and little time to think.

"It will take technique and patience."

Juventus' domestic dominance over the past decade has not translated onto the European stage, with final defeats in 2015 and 2017 to Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively proving tough to take.

Pirlo made his final Juve appearance as a player in the former showpiece, as goals from Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar saw Barca run out 3-1 winners in Berlin.

"We know the importance and the beauty of playing in the Champions League," he said.

"When you can play these games there is a totally different energy, but it must be faced just like all other important games."

Juventus captain Leonardo Bonucci echoed his boss' sentiments.

"We must be careful not to get caught up in the desire to score immediately at all costs," he said.

"We expect a Porto side that will come here to play, not to defend."

The Serie A champions would be even more up against it had Chiesa not continued an impressive individual season by getting on the scoresheet.

Italy winger Chiesa has scored nine goals and chipped in with seven assists across all competitions this season.

His 40 chances created are second only to Alvaro Morata (44) among Juventus' forwards, while his 19.6 per cent shot conversion rate is slightly better than Cristiano Ronaldo's (18.2), even though the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is once again riding high with 27 goals in the 2020-21 campaign.

"He doesn't allow himself to be influenced by pressure, he is very genuine and spontaneous, and quickly understood what it means to wear this shirt," Bonucci said of the 23-year-old Chiesa. "He's giving us so much."

Bonucci could be joined in defence by his long-time colleague Giorgio Chiellini, who has recovered from a calf problem to slightly mitigate Mathijis de Ligt's absence due to muscular injuries.

Pirlo expects Weston McKinnie to be involved despite managing a hip problem, although the USA international will not be fit enough for the entire match.

Matthijs de Ligt was linked with Manchester United before his move to Juventus in 2019.

United have reportedly renewed their interest in the 21-year-old Dutch defender.

Could he end up in Manchester?

TOP STORY – UNITED WANT DE LIGT

Manchester United are set to target Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, according to TodoFichajes.

United were heavily linked with De Ligt before the Netherlands international swapped Ajax for Serie A champions Juve in 2019.

With United reportedly not advancing in their pursuit of Real Madrid pair Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane, the Red Devils are eyeing De Ligt.

United have also been linked with RB Leipzig's Ibrahima Konate, Sevilla defender Jules Kounde and Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly.

ROUND-UP

- Calciomercato reports Paris Saint-Germain are poised to offer David Alaba a €25million-per year deal in an attempt to prise the Bayern Munich star to the French capital. Out of contract at season's end, Alaba has been tipped to join Madrid. Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester City have also been linked.

- United have been left alone in the fight to sign Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, claims TodoFichajes. Unwilling to match Villa's valuation, City have reportedly exited the race for Grealish. The report also says United could sell Marcus Rashford to fund the move.

- Madrid stars Lucas Vazquez and Isco are wanted by Everton, according to Calciomercato. After prising James Rodriguez from the LaLiga champions, Everton are targeting another two players from the Spanish capital, though Milan and Juve are also keen.

- Diario AS reports Madrid are prioritising a move for in-demand Borussia Dortmund star Erling Haaland. Chelsea, United, City, Juve, PSG, Barca and Bayern have all been linked but Madrid are reportedly shifting their attention from Kylian Mbappe to Haaland.

Andrea Pirlo saluted the spirit of his Juventus side after they came from behind to seal a 3-1 win over Lazio in Serie A on Saturday.

The Bianconeri fell behind to Joaquin Correa's 14th-minute strike, but powered back to claim all three points thanks to Adrien Rabiot's fine strike and Alvaro Morata's second-half brace – the second of which came from the penalty spot. 

Morata's double took his goal involvement tally this season to 15 (seven goals, eight assists) – his best return in a Serie A campaign. 

The result means third-placed Juve are now seven points behind leaders Inter, having played the same number of games. 

With an eye on Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Porto, which the Portuguese side hold a 2-1 advantage in, Pirlo opted to shuffle his pack against Lazio. 

Serie A's leading goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo started on the substitutes' bench, while Federico Bernardeschi was deployed at left-back and Danilo was used in a defensive midfield role. 

While Pirlo was disappointed with his side's sluggish start, he was pleased they were able to secure all three points after going behind for the first time since the 2-1 win over Torino in December. 

"We started badly and conceded with our poor back pass, but then there was a strong reaction from the whole team despite missing so many players," he told DAZN. 

"We didn't let our heads drop, we started to step up the tempo and that was the most important thing.

"We thought about Tuesday's game. We knew tonight was like a final, some had to play in new positions and showed great professionalism and spirit of sacrifice.

"The most important thing was the three points. Danilo was ready to work in central midfield, while Bernardeschi deserves all the compliments for playing as a left-back.

"What I liked the most was the reaction of the team, as we didn't accept being behind in such a delicate and important game, so it was that spirit I appreciated."

While he did not get on the scoresheet, Federico Chiesa was particularly impressive for the reigning champions, and the winger, who laid on Morata's first, believes something has sparked amongst his team-mates. 

"We put in a great performance, but only after conceding the opening goal, which was a mistake," he said. "We proved that we have heart, grit and I think we'll battle to the end if we play like this.

"Lazio have shown themselves to be a great team, always in the fight for the top four, so it was a big game. Having said that, they are all big if we want to win the Scudetto.

"I do what the coach asks of me. Winning the ball back comes above all from the team pressing and not just individuals. The assist was mine, but I was able to get the ball because we all worked so hard to win it back.

"After tonight, I think we're all in great shape. Something sparked within us and from now on every game is a final, whether it's in Serie A, the Champions League or the Coppa Italia."

Alvaro Morata scored twice to help Juventus to a 3-1 home win over Lazio on Saturday and keep alive their faint hopes of a 10th consecutive Serie A title.

The Bianconeri, who started with Cristiano Ronaldo on the substitutes' bench, had started sluggishly and fell behind inside 15 minutes courtesy of Joaquin Correa's third league goal of the campaign. 

Adrien Rabiot pulled them level with their first shot on target in the 39th minute, though, before Morata's quickfire double after the break – the second from the penalty spot – sealed a third win in four top-flight games. 

Andrea Pirlo's side remain in third, but have moved to within a point of Milan and seven of leaders Inter, having played the same number of games.

Cristiano Ronaldo was named on the substitutes' bench for Juventus' Serie A clash with Lazio on Saturday. 

With an eye on Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg against Porto, who hold a 2-1 lead from the first match, Andrea Pirlo opted to rest his talisman. 

Ronaldo is the leading scorer in Serie A this season with 20 goals and has netted four in his last three games. 

Speaking at his pre-match media conference on Friday, Pirlo hinted that 36-year-old Ronaldo might be suffering from fatigue. 

"When you play a lot of games, a day or two of rest is good," Pirlo said. "It also applies to Cristiano. 

"Now that we are short up front, he has gritted his teeth and will do it for as long as we need it. He has shown and continues to demonstrate his great professionalism."

Juve, who were 10 points behind leaders Inter ahead of kick-off, opted for Alvaro Morata and Dejan Kulusevski in attack.

Will Kalidou Koulibaly leave Serie A's Napoli?

Koulibaly is one of Europe's finest defenders and the 29-year-old has attracted interest from across Europe.

Bayern Munich are reportedly eyeing the Senegal international.

TOP STORY – BAYERN FRONTRUNNERS FOR NAPOLI STAR

Bayern Munich are leading the race to sign Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, according to Il Mattino.

Koulibaly has long been linked with a move away from Napoli, though the club's valuation has deterred suitors.

But Koulibaly's asking price has reportedly dropped to €45million (£39m), alerting Bayern, as well as Manchester United and Liverpool.

Bild, however, claims Bundesliga champions Bayern have not made an offer for the Napoli star.

ROUND-UP

- Bild reports Manchester City are favourites to sign Erling Haaland if Borussia Dortmund sanction an off-season exit. Haaland has been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Liverpool, Chelsea, United and Bayern.

- As City target Haaland, Sport Mediaset says Serie A champions Juve are considering a move for veteran forward Sergio Aguero. The Argentina international is out of contract at season's end.

- Barca have been offered Bayer Leverkusen star Edmond Tapsoba, claims Sport. Tapsoba is valued at around €40m.

- Wolves are open to selling Adama Traore at a reduced price, according to the Daily Mail. Barca, Liverpool and City have been linked with Traore previously.

- The Sun reports United are considering the sale of star goalkeeper David de Gea. It comes as Dean Henderson expects to become number one next season. The Transfer Window podcast, meanwhile, says United are seeking a new number one amid links to Milan star Gianluigi Donnarumma.

- Chelsea remain interested in RB Leipzig centre-back Ibrahima Konate, according to Bild. Konate is not short of admirers, linked to the likes of United and Arsenal.

- United have not contacted Eintracht Frankfurt's Andre Silva as an alternative to Haaland, claims Bild.