Ronaldo gets off the mark for Juventus against Sassuolo

Published September 16, 2018
Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his first goal. — AFP
Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring his first goal. — AFP

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first competitive goal for Italian champions Juventus and then added a second in Sunday's fourth Serie A game of the season, against Sassuolo in Turin.

The 33-year-old tapped in on the line after a goalmouth scramble on 50 minutes, and added a second 15 minutes later to give the reigning seven-time champions a 2-0 lead.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was the star signing of the summer transfer period, arriving amid great pomp and ceremony following a 100 million euro deal from Real Madrid.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri had said before the match he was not concerned that Ronaldo has failed to find the net despite 23 shots at goal in the team's three wins out of three so far this season.

“I don't expect Ronaldo to do more or less than what he did in the first three games,” said Allegri. “I believe tomorrow could be his day.”

Ronaldo scored 44 goals for Real Madrid last season including 15 in the Champions League on the way to a third straight title.

Bolstered by five-time winner Ronaldo, Juventus begin their quest for the Champions League title which has eluded them in two decades in Valencia next Wednesday.

The Turin giants won the European title in 1985 and 1996, but finished runners-up twice in 2015 and 2017, under current coach Allegri.

Opinion

Editorial

Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.
Missing links
Updated 27 Apr, 2024

Missing links

As the past decades have shown, the country has not been made more secure by ‘disappearing’ people suspected of wrongdoing.
Freedom to report?
27 Apr, 2024

Freedom to report?

AN accountability court has barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife from criticising the establishment...
After Bismah
27 Apr, 2024

After Bismah

BISMAH Maroof’s contribution to Pakistan cricket extends beyond the field. The 32-year old, Pakistan’s...