3 Things we learnt from Cristiano Ronaldo's home debut against Lazio
The 25th of August, 2018 will always remain as a special date in the history of Juventus; the day Cristiano Ronaldo made his home debut for the Old Lady. His debut, however, proved to be a difficult one against Lazio who finished fifth in the Serie A and level on points with fourth-placed Inter Milan last season.
Even for a man of Ronaldo's quality, there will come a transition period for a different league with different players and a new style of play. Cristiano's nine-year stay at Real Madrid means that the habits developed during his time in the Spanish capital are very fresh. Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic eased any nerves the fans may have had, as the Bosnian's sweet strike gave Juve the lead.
The Old Lady were not without fault during the first period, as Ciro Immobile, Senad Lulic and Parolo squandered some key opportunities. Cristiano's team-mates desperately tried to get the best out of the 33-year-old but were let down by some poor crossing and a lack of communication.
#1 Dealing with the physicality of the new league
Serie A has always had a reputation based on physicality, pragmatism and grit. Over the years, however, teams have started to adopt a more attacking approach to games, with this even being the case for sides lower down. Italy's top tier can still rival any European league for physicality, especially compared to the more lightweight La Liga Santander where teams demonstrate more technical ability and possession play.
Several times during the match against Lazio, Ronaldo found himself having to battle against Wallace, Stephan Radu and Acerbi to win headers. Last year in La Liga, Cristiano would have possibly found himself unmarked or under much less pressure in similar situations.
Juventus' title-winning side of last season scored eight fewer goals than the Real Madrid team that finished seventeen points behind Barcelona, this mainly being down to the more secure backlines in Serie A.
In recent years, however, Cristiano Ronaldo has transformed himself into the ultimate penalty-box predator, with a ruthless eye for goal and the sharpest movement in the business. Fans across the world, therefore, believe that Ronaldo's time will soon come and that he will gradually adapt to the Serie A.