Juventus defeat Inter to go leading after coronavirus chaos
Aaron Ramsey starred as Juventus defeat subject rivals Inter Milan 2-0 on Sunday to reclaim top spot found in Serie A found in a game played behind closed doors as a result of coronavirus outbreak.
Early in the day, Italian athletics minister Vincenzo Spadafora called for the league time of year to be placed on hold.
His affirmation caused chaos at the first game between SPAL and Parma, with confused players sent back to the dressing bedrooms from the tunnel before eventually choosing to the field 75 minutes after the scheduled kick-off.
Juventus' video game against Inter in Turin did just do it, although within an empty Allianz Stadium, with the defending champions taking a one-point business lead over Lazio near the top of the table.
Juve coach Maurizio Sarri told Sky Sport Italia that he "doesn't really know what is the correct move to make" in terms of the thorny question of cancelling matches.
"What have to I ask can be be it right to take away two hours of fun from those people who are stuck indoors or perhaps if there is a real critical risk for the players and staff, I simply don't know the response to those questions," explained the 61-year-old.
On the overall game itself, he added: "This is a crucial victory, but you may still find 12 game titles to go, so it is an extended road ahead.
"It's very great that we barely allowed a quality side like Inter an individual shot on goal."
Antonio Conte's third-placed Inter are now nine points adrift, but with a game at hand on Juve and Lazio.
Douglas Costa went nearest in a good first half, but was denied by a great save from Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
The hosts broke the deadlock ten minutes following the break, as Cristiano Ronaldo surely got to a minimal ball first inside box, with after that it falling kindly for Ramsey to sweep a low shot into the net from close range.
It had been the Wales midfielder's fourth aim of the growing season after signing up for Juve from Arsenal this past year.
The 29-year-old created his side's second goal 12 minutes later on, playing a neat one-two with Paulo Dybala, who wriggled clear of two defenders and fired residence.
Inter alternative Christian Eriksen went close to pulling one when he drilled a go narrowly above the crossbar.
Things went from bad to worse for the away area when Daniele Padelli, sitting down on the substitutes' bench, was displayed a red card for dissent.
- 'FIGC should think about stopping Serie A' -
The climax of the growing season remains uncertain, though, after a deadly outbreak of the brand new coronavirus in Italy which has claimed the lives of over 350 people.
Italians woke up to discover the entire Lombardy region around Milan and other areas of the north in which a quarter of most Italians live -- and most big teams take up -- under lockdown.
Italian Footballers' Association president Damiano Tommasi tweeted that "stopping football may be the most readily useful thing for our country right now".
"The groups to cheer are taking part in inside our hospitals, in unexpected emergency bedrooms," Tommasi wrote.
Spadafora quickly sounded his own support for the idea of suspending the period right away.
"The FIGC (Italian Football Federation) should consider immediately STOPPING Serie A good," Spadafora wrote on Facebook.
Elsewhere on the pitch, Zlatan Ibrahimovic's fourth target since returning to AC Milan cannot prevent the seven-period European champions from slipping to a 2-1 loss in the home to struggling Genoa.
Milan remain seventh, three points off a good Europa League place.
SPAL edged away Parma 1-0 in the delayed early meet to improve their slim survival chances, while Sampdoria moved from the bottom 3 by beating Verona 2-1.
