Juventus are up and running as they seek an eighth successive title
It took Cristiano Ronaldo only eight minutes to score his first goal in a Juventus shirt during last week’s friendly between the club’s A and B teams, but his official debut against Chievo was a much more arduous affair.
As fans around the globe wired into live streams and timelines to follow the former Real Madrid star’s Serie A bow, Ronaldo toiled to make an instant impression in the humble surroundings of the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
The key statistic of eight shots and no goals tells the story of a frustrating afternoon, though he still showed flashes of trademark brilliance in a match eventually settled by Federico Bernardeschi’s late winner.
Juve coach Max Allegri said in the build-up that Ronaldo was “intrigued” to learn how Italian teams play, but it’s unlikely the £99m summer signing was too impressed when Sami Khedira fired in a simple third-minute opener.
Chievo mercifully improved from that disastrous start, with former Sunderland winger Emanuele Giaccherini threatening to upstage the main attraction by assisting the equaliser before winning and converting a penalty to give the hosts a shock lead.
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Juventus have dropped points on only four occasions in 2018, and Ronaldo clearly wasn’t prepared to begin his career for the Old Lady with a rare setback.
It wasn’t long until the exasperated glances previously reserved for the likes of Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez were directed towards his new teammates in black and white. Juan Cuadrado in particular was given an earful, with the Colombian quickly learning that it will take more than relinquishing his No.7 shirt to keep Ronaldo happy this season.
With the eyes of the world on Verona, famously the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers on this occasion proved to be Ronaldo and veteran Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino. The 39-year-old produced several impressive saves to deny the forward his crowning moment, but he will have been grateful to see a first-half cross sail away to safety as Ronaldo lined up another iconic overhead kick.
When Ronaldo’s foul on Sorrentino in the closing stages saw Mario Mandzukic denied the decisive goal by VAR, a disappointing 2-2 draw seemed inevitable. But, just like their new Portuguese star with his stunning hat-trick against Spain at the World Cup, Juve also have a habit of writing their own late drama. This time Bernardeschi was on hand to slam home the winner at the death, igniting wild celebrations after a hard-fought victory.
Ronaldo was central to the jubilant scenes, though he will no doubt be hoping to make a greater impact on his next outing. The motivations behind his move to Italy may be varied, but his efforts in Chievo immediately dismissed the notion that it is merely a final payday. Now 33, and with five Balon d'Ors in his trophy cabinet, Ronaldo continues to rage against the dying of the light. His story is far from over as a new chapter begins in Serie A.
