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Sometimes it’s difficult to tell where Juventus would be without Cristiano Ronaldo this season. The Portuguese has been scoring goals for fun since joining the Old Lady and once again bailed them out during the weekend.
After dropping points against Atalanta in midweek, Andrea Pirlo’s side went into Saturday’s game against Parma as wounded lions and needing to pick up a statement win to stay in touch with the league leaders.
The two Milan clubs, AC and Inter, have emerged as serious title contenders this season and currently sit above Juventus in the 2020-21 Serie A table.
Juventus’ slow start to the season has given their rivals a headstart, but the Bianconeri are gradually playing their way back into contention. And the key to their resurgence is Cristiano Ronaldo, who at 35 continues to score at will.
Cristiano Ronaldo turns up against Parma after penalty miss against Atalanta
Former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo was the star of the show as Juventus put four goals past a hapless Parma on Saturday. Goals from Dejan Kulusevski and Alvaro Morata were sandwiched by a double from the Portuguese.
After missing a penalty in Juventus’ 2-2 draw with Atalanta, Ronaldo was back among the goals as the Old Lady routed their opponents. As Pirlo watched his side return to winning ways and close the gap at the top of the Serie A table, he could not help but salute his star forward:
"Ronaldo was angry for having missed the penalty, but we had a few days to think about it and he showed how much he cares about scoring goals, even better when during open play," the Juventus boss said as quoted by AS.
The Juventus manager further said in this regard:
"We weren't happy with Wednesday's result, but the performance was good. We had to get back the points we lost against Atalanta, and we did it in the best way.”
Indeed, Juventus have managed to turn a corner, and with Cristiano Ronaldo in their midst, they are unlikely to struggle for goals.
Cristiano Ronaldo-powered Juventus are catching up on title rivals
With the convincing win at Parma, Juventus' bid to win a tenth consecutive Serie A title is back on track. The Bianconeri are now just four points behind league leaders AC Milan and three adrift of second-placed Inter.
Juventus, however, boast the best goal difference (18) in the Italian top flight this season, with Cristiano Ronaldo contributing 12 of their 28 league goals.
"We needed a team win and to score, and we did it while playing good football. We are in a good moment, I like how we attack the opponents when they have the ball; we are growing; the right spirit is here, but we are only at the beginning, and we will have to have this attitude in every match,” Pirlo observed.
It may be early days in the season, but after their thumping win over Parma, Juventus could need some stopping.
