Andrea Pirlo produced a piece of free-kick magic to keep Juventus on track for a third consecutive scudetto thanks to a late 1-0 win away to Genoa on Sunday.
Juventus looked to be heading for only their fourth draw of the season, having seen goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon save Emanuele Calaio’s 72nd minute penalty and two other great earlier chances for the hosts.
However Antonio Conte’s men were handed a lifeline when Fabio Quagliarella won a questionable free kick on the edge of the area, and Pirlo stepped up to send a curling drive over the wall and past the outstretched hands of Mattia Perin.
“We knew it would be a hard game but for us it was crucial to take the win back to Turin,” Pirlo told Sky Italia before turning his focus on what his goal cold mean in terms of Juve’s likely title chances.
“It was an important goal, I hope it helps.”
Juventus now have 75 points and a 17-point lead on Roma, who host Udinese on Monday but also have a game in hand.
Napoli sit third, a further three points off the pace, ahead of their trip to Torino on Monday when Rafael Benitez’s side will look to avoid any slip-ups following Fiorentina’s 3-1 win Sunday night over outclassed Chievo.
Juan Cuadrado, Alessandro Matri and Mario Gomez were on target for Fiorentina, while Alberto Paloschi scored Chievo’s only goal, who are back up to fourth but with only a one-point lead on Inter and a seven-point deficit to Napoli in the last Champions League spot.
Genoa looked determined to give no quarter to the Serie A champions, but in the process earned four yellow cards in the first half alone, during which two goals from Pablo Daniel Osvaldo were ruled offside.
Genoa continued to harry and were unfortunate when Bertolacci controlled well on the edge of the area only to send his shot straight at the advancing Buffon.
Juve had claims for a penalty waved away on 68 minutes when Fernando Llorente’s cross hit the arm of Luca Antonelli.
Genoa won a penalty moments later due to a more convincing handball from Arturo Vidal, however Buffon was equal to Calaio’s tame spot-kick.
When Quagliarella won a free kick at the death, Pirlo stepped up to hit his fourth goal of the season.
Conte did not underestimate the value of the win: “Only a big team like ours could come to this stadium and overcome a team that played the game of its life.
“I don’t want to speak of the title, but we’ve taken another big step foward.”
Earlier, former AC Milan striker Antonio Cassano struck a double in a 4-2 win for Parma at 10-man Milan which dropped the club to 12th, now 40 points behind Juve and 12 points off the first Europa League spot.
Defeat prompted dozens of angry fans to congregate outside Milan’s shared San Siro ground to protest, some of whom got to meet under-fire coach Clarence Seedorf to vent their frustrations.
Seedorf, speaking to Sky Italia, played down the incident.
“It’s a very delicate situation but it was a peaceful meeting and the fans who are close to the club have every right to express their feelings, before, during and after the match,” Seedorf said.
Seedorf, who earlier this week complained he had inherited an “ailing” team from previous coach Massimiliano Allegri saw his side crash out of the Champions League after a 5-1 aggregate reverse to Atletico Madrid last week.
“I will defend this club to the hilt, as well as my players,” added Seedorf.
“We have to look ahead in a positive way, continue to work hard and, with a little more attention to the details, try to get ourselves out of this negative spiral.”
After Fiorentina’s win, Parma dropped to sixth but are only one point behind Inter, 2-0 winners at Verona on Saturday, with a game in hand.
Lazio maintained their hopes of Europa League football with a 2-0 away win at Cagliari which kept the capital side five points behind Parma in seventh.
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHayvn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristopher%20Flinos%2C%20Ahmed%20Ismail%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efinancial%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eundisclosed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESize%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2044%20employees%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eseries%20B%20in%20the%20second%20half%20of%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHilbert%20Capital%2C%20Red%20Acre%20Ventures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
