MILAN: Cristiano Ronaldo was hired by Juventus for his scoring fame. In the absence of goals, though, his influence knows no bounds.

On Saturday, Ronaldo set up all three of his side’s goals — two for Mario Mandzukic and one for Leonardo Bonucci — as Juve came from behind to beat 10-man Napoli 3-1 in a Serie A top-of-the-table clash.

In seven league matches so far, he has five assists, compared to three goals.

It’s not quite what Juve or Ronaldo ordered, but he and the team remain perfect on the domestic front going into his enforced rest in Tuesday’s Champions League match against Young Boys following his red card at Valencia.

“Ronaldo is having fun and enjoying his football, he has integrated very well,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “He’s an extraordinary player, his precision in the passing moves is exceptional.

“Tonight, he played his best match with us, along with the high-level half-hour in Valencia ... we have to be better in picking him out.”

Juve’s bid for an eighth successive Serie A title looks even more unstoppable.

Napoli pushed Juve all the way last season in the most exciting title race in recent history but the Bianconeri clinched the title despite being beaten at home by Napoli late in the campaign.

They already have a six-point lead over Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who are on 15 points and again look set to be their closest challenger.

Dries Mertens gave Napoli an early lead before Ronaldo provided a pinpoint cross for Mario Mandzukic to head in the equaliser and then set up an easy second for the Croat when his shot hit the post.

Ronaldo’s goalbound header also provided the third Juve goal for Leonardo Bonucci after Napoli had left back Mario Rui sent off for a petulant kick at Paulo Dybala.

AS Roma upset the form book with a 3-1 derby win over neighbours Lazio, who had won their last five games in all competitions, while Inter Milan beat Cagliari 2-0 to notch their third league win in a row.

Luciano Spalletti’s Inter are fourth on 13 points ahead of Lazio (12) and Roma (11).

Napoli took only 10 minutes to take a deserved lead. Allan picked out Jose Callejon, who found Mertens with a delightful volleyed pass and the Belgium international slotted home.

Juve needed a piece of Ronaldo brilliance to get back into the game in the 26th minute. The Portuguese twisted and turned past Elseid Hysaj and then dropped a perfect cross onto the head of Mandzukic who powered a downward effort past David Ospina.

The momentum then swung to Juventus with a Ronaldo effort ricocheting off the post and into the path of the onrushing Croat who tapped in four minutes after the break.

Napoli were struggling after Portuguese Rui was sent off on 58 minutes for a second bookable offence amd Bonucci wrapped up the game, tapping in Ronaldo’s header at the far post following a corner in the 75th.

“We played well for the first 20 minutes, then our opponents took control of the game,” said Ancelotti, whose side host Liverpool on Wednesday in the Champions League. “We need to continue improving. We will be competitive right until the end.”

Roma turned in the most convincing performance yet to beat Lazio for the seventh time in their last nine meetings.

Roma’s second victory in four days after a 4-0 win over promoted Frosinone on Wednesday gave the team some much-needed confidence ahead of a Champions League match against Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday.

Surprise Champions League semi-finalists last season, Roma were thoroughly outclassed by Real Madrid 3-0 in their group opener.

“This performance means the team hasn’t lost its identity or idea of football,” Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco said. “I saw the difference in their faces and their eyes today, and it showed on the pitch.”

Lorenzo Pellegrini back-heeled Roma ahead on the stroke of halftime, shortly after replacing the injured Javier Pastore.

But an awful mistake by Roma defender Federico Fazio allowed Lazio back into the match. The Argentine was dispossessed as he tried to dribble around Ciro Immobile, who ran on to fire the ball wide of Patrick Olsen for his first goal in a Rome derby.

But Roma were back in front within four minutes when Aleksandar Kolarov fired the free kick through a huge hole in the Lazio wall.

Defender Fazio completed the win, and atoned for his earlier mistake, by meeting a free kick with a towering header to score four minutes from time.

Inter warmed up for their Champions League trip to PSV Eindhoven with goals in either half from Lautaro Martinez and Matteo Politano giving them a victory over Cagliari at the San Siro.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018