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Cristiano Ronaldo further enhanced his dominance of the European game last season as he continued his exceptional goal-scoring form for Juventus. Besides the Coppa Italia title, Cristiano Ronaldo's 36-goal haul was one of the few positives for the Old Lady in the 2020-21 season.
The Portuguese superstar finished the campaign as Serie A and Juventus' top goalscorer, but lacked substantial support from his teammates. This will have to change in the upcoming 2021-22 season if Juventus are to reclaim their spot at the top of Italian football.
After a hugely underwhelming campaign last season, Juventus have re-appointed former manager Massimiliano Allegri for a second term at the club. The Italian will certainly be hoping for more from his players as he looks to instill creativity and solidity into the 36-time Italian champions.
On that note, let's take a look at the five Juventus players who could ease the burden on Cristiano Ronaldo this upcoming season.
#5 Juan Cuadrado
The Colombian has made the right-back position his own after a host of impressive performances for Juventus, especially in the final third.
Juan Cuadrado is currently one of the best attacking fullbacks in world football and further enhanced his offensive output last season. In 40 appearances throughout the course of the 2020-21 season, Cuadrado registered a tally of 18 assists, along with two goals. This included 10 assists in the Serie A season and six assists from as many appearances in the 2020-21 Champions League campaign.
Even though Cuadrado is susceptible in the defensive third, the 33-year-old showed significant improvement last season. The Colombian will most certainly reprise his role as a right-back in Juventus' XI this season.
The 33-year old also developed a good understanding with Cristiano Ronaldo on the pitch. Cuadrado played an indispensable role in setting up and creating goals for Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. in the opposition half.
#4 Alvaro Morata
Atletico Madrid loanee Alvaro Morata is set to embark on his second loan spell at Allianz Stadium to join forces with Cristiano Ronaldo once again.
In 44 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 season, the Spaniard notched up 20 goals and 12 assists. Morata was only second behind Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus' goal-scoring charts last season and second in the assists chart among his Juventus teammates.
The Spaniard extended his goal-scoring streak for his national side at the recently-concluded Euro 2020. Making 6 appearances at the continental tournament, Morata notched up three crucial goals. He was instrumental in Spain's run to the semi-final, where he scored an 80th-minute equalizer against Italy before La Roja lost out on penalties.
The Juventus faithful will be hoping for solid and more consistent performances from Alvaro Morata when he lines up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for the Bianconneri in the 2021-22 campaign.
#3 Leonardo Bonucci
One of Juventus' major downfalls in the 2020-21 season was their fragility at the back, as they conceded over one goal a match on average in the footballing calendar.
Juventus' record defensive signing, Matthijs de Ligt, has undergone a tough start to life at the Allianz Stadium following a string of poor performances in his first season at the club. This makes the role of Leonardo Bonucci at the heart of Juventus' backline, ever-so-important.
The 34-year old further enhanced his stature as a modern great following a stellar defensive masterclass at Euro 2020. Bonucci was a vital cog in Italy's memorable European campaign and will undoubtedly be one of the first names in Juventus' starting XI this season.
Bonucci's better half, Giorgio Chiellini, is rumored to be heading towards the exit after a 16-year long spell at the club. This will make Bonucci the most experienced and also the central figure in Juventus' backline in the upcoming season.
While the likes of Dybala, Chiesa and Morata will ease the goal-scoring burden on Cristiano Ronaldo, Leonardo Bonucci will look to shut shop at the back.
#2 Paulo Dybala
Nicknamed La Joya, the Argentine has been one of the regulars in Juventus' lineup since his arrival at the club in 2015. However, he fell out of favor under Juventus legend and former manager, Andrea Pirlo, in the 2020-21 campaign.
Paulo Dybala donned the black and white stripes of Juventus on just 26 occasions in the 2020-21 campaign, ten of them coming from the bench. A ligament injury didn't help his cause either, as he was ruled out of action for over two months.
Despite his recent form, the class of Paulo Dybala is undeniable, as he remains one of the most exciting talents in world football. In 254 appearances for Juventus during his six-year spell at the club, Paulo Dybala has been directly involved in 141 goals (100 goals, 41 assists).
The 27-year old became the first non-European player to register 100 goals for Juventus when he found the back of the net against Sassuolo in the 2020-21 Serie A campaign. He reached the feat alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who brought up his 100th goal for the club in the same fixture.
#1 Federico Chiesa
Euro 2020 gold medalist Federico Chiesa will be one of Juventus' main men in the final third this season.
At the young age of 23, Chiesa already possesses massive pedigree and class, as he showcased with his stellar performances at Euro 2020. The winger did not begin Italy's European adventure in the starting lineup, but slowly worked his way into the first XI with stand-out performances throughout the campaign.
Chiesa is now regarded as one of the most talented forwards on the continent, with a host of big clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, PSG and Bayern Munich rumored to be keen on the youngster's signature. However, Chiesa looks likely to stay on at the Allianz Stadium, as he is perceived to be the leader of Juventus' forward line for many years to come.
The Fiorentina loanee was impressive in his debut 2020-21 season at Juventus after he joined the club on a two-year loan spell which expires at the end of the upcoming season. In 43 appearances for the Bianconeri across all competitions last season, Chiesa was directly involved in 24 goals (14 goals, 10 assists).
Chiesa will be looking to build on the momentum from a memorable 2020-21 footballing calendar, as he will partner Cristiano Ronaldo to fuel Juventus' resurgence to the top of Italian football.
