How Cristiano Ronaldo conquered the Italian game
Cristiano Ronaldo will once again lead from the front on Thursday night when Juventus head to Udinese, with Maurizio Sarri's team on the verge of sealing yet another Scudetto as they maintain their domination of the domestic game.
The Bianconeri are closing in on a 36th Serie A championship title, and Cristiano Ronaldo heads into the final few games of a protracted season having already scored 30 goals from as many games. His brace in the 2-1 win over Lazio on Monday night took his tally over the 50-goal milestone for the Italian giants.
Cristiano Ronaldo lands in Italy
Since his arrival in Turin back in the summer of 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo once again demonstrated his ability to adapt to new surroundings, making an immediate impression in the same way he did at both Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The only individual close to matching the Portuguese talisman's haul of record-breaking individual statistics and achievements is a certain Lionel Messi. While the cancellation of the Ballon d'Or this year will prevent them from being compared at least officially this year, there is little doubt that both men compete at a level above any of their peers.
Despite turning 35 in February, Cristiano Ronaldo remains as committed, determined and ambitious as he was when he arrived at Sporting Lisbon as a 12-year-old in 1997. His enthusiasm to be the best formed the basis for his progress during his formative years, and for all that he has achieved since, that desire has never waned.
Success for club and country has fuelled Ronaldo's determination to achieve more. As the inevitability of retirement edges closer, he continues to defy the rigours of age with elevated personal targets and team goals he sets for himself on a daily basis.
How Cristiano Ronaldo conquered the challenge of calcio
When he arrived at Juventus two years ago, the culture of the Italian game was expected to provide a very different challenge for Cristiano Ronaldo than what he was used to in La Liga with Real Madrid.
However, the stigma of the defensive catenaccio system and style in Italy is no longer as mainstream as outsiders believe, with more and more Italian coaches now embracing a more expansive game.
As a result, Cristiano Ronaldo has managed to maintain an unrivalled goal return, exploiting the time and space between opponents' defensive lines that has played into the hands of the creative talent he surrounds himself with at Juventus. With players like Paulo Dybala in a support role, service has been at a premium throughout his Italian adventure.
Naturally, current manager Maurizio Sarri and Massimiliano Allegri before him, have built their Juventus teams around bringing the very best out of their most valuable asset. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the few players capable of turning a game around on his own; his presence alone offers a distinct advantage over the opposition.
Likewise, a player like Cristiano Ronaldo demands close attention. His focus remains firmly fixed on being the headline maker. But with his growing maturity, he has developed a natural appreciation that the attention he commands is a distraction that can unravel the tightest of opposition defences, should he decide to take himself out of the game in order to create space for others.
Cristiano Ronaldo's Serie A milestones
Cristiano Ronaldo first made his mark on Serie A back in September 2018 when he scored both goals in Juventus' 2-1 home win over Sassuolo. The first was scored from close range from a corner early in the second half. After ending his three-game goalless run in the league for his new club, Cristiano Ronaldo quickly added a second with a more familiar left-footed strike.
Although a hamstring injury curtailed his involvement in the final stages of that inaugural campaign, Cristiano Ronaldo still scored 21 goals in 31 games. It was already clear that his decision to leave Real Madrid would not mark the start of a downturn in his career, although only the most sceptical of observers considered that would realistically be the case.
However, it was his memorable hat-trick to help Juventus turnaround a 2-0 deficit against Atlético Madrid in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League that cemented his place in the hearts of the Bianconeri fans. In the process, Cristiano Ronaldo ensured that his incredible form in the competition he loves the most would continue despite his departure from a club defined by their success in it.
Cristiano Ronaldo has scored just the one Serie A hat-trick to date. It came back in January as he registered yet another personal milestone in Juventus' 4-0 win over Cagliari at the Allianz Stadium. Gonzalo Higuaín also contributed to the final scoreline, but that was through a Cristiano Ronaldo assist.
Cristiano Ronaldo's success at Juventus
Of the 30 Serie A fixtures that Cristiano Ronaldo has played in so far this season, he has scored in 23 of them. In addition to his hat-trick against Cagliari, he has scored twice against Udinese, Parma, Fiorentina, Atalanta, and most recently, Lazio.
He is currently tied with Lazio's Ciro Immobile in the race for the season's Capocannoniere award. Cristiano Ronaldo also has a shot at the record for most Serie A goals (36) in a season; he needs six goals in four games to get a share of that record, seven to claim it outright.
But there are more targets still in reach than domestic honours in the Italian game. Juventus make a long-awaited return to UEFA Champions League action next month, where they need to overcome a surprise 1-0 first-leg deficit against Olympique Lyon to progress in the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo may have five Champions League trophies to his name, but only the next one matters.
For Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus is a vehicle that can generate the success he craves for.
His contribution in his first two seasons at the club has ensured that he has a key role to play in etching a new chapter in Juventus' long and proud history of domestic and continental success.
But there is more to this particular relationship between the club, the player and the fans; it began before his transfer from the Santiago Bernabeu became a reality.
In April 2018, Juventus fans applauded his spectacular overhead bicycle kick goal against their team at the Allianz Stadium, and a bond was formed through that rare show of mutual respect.
Despite the 3-0 scoreline leaving Juventus with everything to do in the return match, it was a point in time that showed how the calcio culture of the Italian game held an appreciation for such moments of brilliance. It was also a demonstration of how the fans had the maturity to display it in the expressive human trait that characterises the country and its community.
The lasting influence of Cristiano Ronaldo
Meanwhile, success at Juventus has been dovetailed with international glory for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The current EURO champions added another trophy to their name in the summer of 2019 when Fernando Santos's side were crowned the inaugural winners of the UEFA Nations League. The talisman finished the mini-tournament as the top goalscorer following his hat-trick over Switzerland.
Cristiano Ronaldo has already played a pivotal role in this particular era of success at Juventus. He did the same at Manchester United and Real Madrid, and he has lifted Portugal to unparalleled heights.
Now, his presence must be embraced by Serie A as this period of his career will soon be over, but it will be remembered for many more years to come.