Ronaldo and Juventus- can anyone stop them this season?
Juventus have been a superpower in world football for a number of years now, and their domination in Serie A has been well documented in recent times. We use the term 'domination' commonly these days, yet it truly is the case with this extraordinary club and the way they have begun to monopolize the Italian league.
The side from Turin have now won seven Scudetto's in succession which is a remarkable achievement in any league but in such a prestigious and competitive league such as Serie A, it underlines the strength and level of continuity this club is managing to produce year after year.
These seven titles have been delivered by Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, two managers who have overseen two different eras within the club's great history and you can see as time went on how the squad evolved and changed with the times.
The old guard has been so dependable for both managers- Buffon, Chiellini, Bonucci, Pirlo, Marchisio just to name a few. Masters of their trades and complimented by the flair and skill of players such as Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba it has been a star-studded generation of Juventus sides that have played some wonderful football and over all else been incredibly difficult to stop.
This will likely be the case for the season ahead and beyond as they look as well equipped as ever to deliver another Serie A title and even potentially push for European honors this season which is something the board will be craving for by this point.
The arrival of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo has strengthened their credentials in a big way. The superstar they were perhaps missing to push them to the next level in the Champions League appears to have now been found and with him in the side, the Bianconeri look more dangerous than ever.
Ronaldo's transfer rocked world football and certainly made people stand up and take notice of Juventus, a real statement of intent from a team who have achieved so much domestically but seem to fall short in the latter stages of European competition.
Ronaldo is one of the finest players to have ever graced the beautiful game with a record most can only dream of having. 582 goals in his club career not to mention 85 goals for the Portuguese national team, it has been clear for many years that he is a goalscoring machine who is showing no signs of slowing down even at the age of 33.
He has managed 9 goals in 15 games since signing for Juventus and has made match-winning contributions already, despite not fully being settled or integrated into what is already a side accustomed to winning.
The Portuguese attacker has won 25 honors in club football and led Portugal to the European Championship title in 2016 against the odds. Individually he has accumulated more honors than we can keep count of though the one he cares about the most and perhaps the most prestigious- the Ballon d'Or- has been claimed by Ronaldo five times, only Lionel Messi can match that feat.
He has shattered records in recent years and looks set to continue stretching these further at his new club. With Ronaldo in the side, surely Juventus can now reach greater heights this year?
Normal service has been resumed in Serie A with Juventus making their best start to a season in 88 years. As of now they have won 11, drawn one and yet to lose a game in the early months of the season looking imperious throughout. Could we see an unbeaten season?
Possibly. There are a number of strong teams in the league still with very potent attacks; teams such as Napoli, Roma and the clubs from Milan can cause problems on their day however they all seem a distance away from the quality and depth that Juventus possess, plus they don't have Cristiano Ronaldo at their disposal...
The Juventus machine isn't just all about the Portuguese superstar though. This is a team littered with star names and strength in every area of the pitch. Bonucci and Chiellini are as solid as ever in defence, seemingly aging like fine wine playing better with each year that passes.
A midfield metronome of Miralem Pjanic, Blaise Matuidi and youngster Rodrigo Bentacur has been ticking over nicely allowing a lethal forward line including Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and of course Ronaldo to cause damage. This is a squad with an excellent balance to it. Emre Can was another very astute buy in the summer that went under the radar and will add further depth to this wonderful squad.
So far this season Juventus have only been toppled once, when complacency shone through in Turin at home to Manchester United. A smash and grab from the Premier League side stunned the Old Lady to steal the game 2-1 when Juventus were seemingly fully in control and cruising towards another comfortable win.
The club holds very high standards and were visibly furious with themselves and how they handled the latter stages of the game. In true fashion, a 2-0 win over AC Milan in the San Siro was their reaction to a bitterly disappointing result in the Champions League- a typical response from the Champions.
It will be a big ask for anyone to stop Juventus domestically but with giants such as Bayern and Real Madrid experiencing early season struggles this may well be their year in Europe as well.
How do you rate Juve's chances of success in Europe this year? Can they go the whole Serie A season unbeaten? Let us know in the comments below!