'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Cristiano Ronaldo's phenomenal streak of scoring 50 or more goals per calendar year eventually came to a halt following Juventus's win against Sampdoria.
With only 2 minutes on the clock, the Portuguese superstar put Juve in front after collecting a pass from Dybala, cutting inside and firing the ball past Emil Audero into the back of the net.
Marco Giampaolo's men, however, made it all square in the 33rd minute, courtesy of a penalty that resulted from a VAR review, which led to Emre Can being penalised. Fabio Quagliarella found the net from the spot.
Nevertheless, a handball from Sampdoria's Alex Ferrari led to the Old Lady being awarded a penalty of their own. Cristiano Ronaldo completed his brace by burying it past Audero in the 65th minute.
In injury time, a howler by Mattia Perin allowed Saponara to score an equaliser, only for VAR to rule it out, as he was offside in the build-up.
The result meant that Juventus are now unbeaten after 19 matches and have bagged a new Serie A record of 53 points at this stage of the season.
Despite this, Ronaldo just fell short of his incredible goal streak. The brace against Sampdoria took the Portuguese's tally for the calendar year to 49 goals. However, with no match in sight for Juve until the 12th of January, 49 will precisely be the goals Ronaldo scored in the entirety of 2018.
While the tally is quite impressive, it also suggests that the former Real Madrid megastar's streak of scoring 50 or more goals every year since 2010 has now officially come to an end.
Here's how Twitter reacted to it.
What are your thoughts on this? Sound off your opinion in the comments section below!
