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It has become a very difficult task to separate Cristiano Ronaldo and the UEFA Champions League from each other, with the new Juventus signing becoming arguably the greatest superstar in the history of the competition, thanks to his incredible exploits in Europe during this decade.
The Portuguese has been the top performer in the European tournament for the past few years, finishing as the top scorer of the competition in each of the last 6 editions, as well as leading Real Madrid to claim the coveted trophy a whopping 4 times in the past 5 years.
Such is the impact of the attacker that Italian champions Juventus ignored his age and splashed an enormous £88 million to acquire him from Real Madrid as they aim to conquer Europe once again.
However, considering recent developments, it finally looks like Ronaldo's European dominance will be over this season and below are 3 reasons that suggest so:
#3. Juventus are a defensive team that lack adequate creativity
Cristiano Ronaldo sent shockwaves across the globe when he unexpectedly decided to put an end to his Real Madrid career this summer, leaving the European champions in order to complete a famous move to join Italian outfit, Juventus.
While his decision to swap Los Blancos for the Serie A side has been justified by many, it should not be forgotten that it could later backfire and end up being a limitation to his ambitions. Unlike Real Madrid, the Old Lady adopts a defensive approach to the game which could limit Ronaldo's influence in front of goal, especially in his favorite competition - the UEFA Champions League.
Moreover, the lack of adequate creativity in the Juventus team is another issue Ronaldo will face this season, with the likes Blaise Matuidi, Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic nowhere near the trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro when it comes to controlling play from the middle of the pitch and creating chances for attackers to score.
Just as we have seen so far this season, the Portuguese has been forced to drop deep to collect the ball more often, contributing to team play before launching attacks - something he rarely did during his time at Real Madrid. As a matter of fact, his 4 goals and 5 assists for the Bianconeri this term is a proof that he is becoming more of a creator than a finisher at his new club.
#2. Slow start to the European campaign
Cristiano Ronaldo had his highly anticipated UEFA Champions League debut for Juventus during their opening fixture against Valencia this season and it couldn't have gone worse for the 5-time Ballon d'Or winner.
First, the attacker struggled against a rigid Valencia defense that got him frustrated during his time on the pitch, before he was shown a red card for clashing off the ball with Jeison Murillo after he appeared to have pulled the defender's hair.
The aftermath of that punishment ensured that he missed a golden opportunity to represent the Bianconeri against Young Boys Bern in their preceding fixture - a game in which Paulo Dybala ran riot and bagged a fantastic hat-trick - leaving Ronaldo further down the pecking order, as the likes of Edin Dzeko, Neymar, and Antoine Griezmann also scored multiple goals.
#1. Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo's biggest threat for the UEFA Champions League Golden Boot this season remains his eternal rival, Lionel Messi. The Argentine is a man on a mission in the European tournament this term and he has taken the competition by its neck with his blistering efforts so far.
The playmaker has been in a league of his own in Europe ever since the campaign began, producing a couple of extraordinary performances and sending the ball into the back of the net with great ease. He is currently on top of the goal-scoring chart with an impressive 5 goals to his name in just 2 appearances - 5 ahead of the Portuguese and 2 ahead of his closest rivals.
Messi recently spoke of his determination to conquer Europe and return the Champions League trophy to the Nou Camp, and with his impressive start to the campaign, he is on track to overtake Cristiano Ronaldo as the best finisher in the tournament this season.
