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Cristiano Ronaldo is halfway through his second season at Juventus after joining the Serie A giants in a staggering £88 million move from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018.
The transfer has since reaped massive benefits for the Turin powerhouse, who not only saw their social media following increase exponentially but also enjoyed the financial stock boost that came with such a big household name.
Ronaldo's maiden campaign in a Bianconeri shirt did not see him reach the lofty targets he normally sets for himself but he did lift two major trophies- the Serie A and the Supercoppa Italia- by the end of the term.
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Individually, he netted 28 goals - out of which 21 came in the Italian top-flight - and provided 10 assists for the club in all competitions. He ultimately lost out on the domestic Golden Boot to Sampdoria's Fabio Quagliarella and finished at fourth place on the goalscoring charts. The campaign marked the fourth time that the Portuguese talisman failed in his quest to win the top-scorer gong and what's even more surprising is the margin by which he lost to the Blucerchiati's veteran striker.
Having said that, the 35-year-old recently commanded a goalscoring resurgence and looks well on his way to achieving his objectives this time around. He has already found the net 26 times across all competitions this season, with his most recent goal coming in the Old Lady's Coppa Italia 1-1 semi-final draw with AC Milan on Thursday evening.
In this article, we take a look at three reasons why Ronaldo could win the Serie A Golden Boot at the end of this season:
#1 The revival of Ronaldo's goalscoring form
Ronaldo has quashed early-season preconceptions surrounding the decline of his goalscoring standards due to his advancing age by commanding a revival of the killer instincts that made him a goal machine at the turn of the new decade.
The Portuguese ace became the first Juventus player to score in 10 consecutive Serie A games after scoring the opener during the club's 2-1 defeat to Hellas Verona last weekend. Incredibly enough, he has netted 15 goals in those 10 games, including braces against Parma, Fiorentina, and Udinese as well as a hat-trick versus Cagliari.
The former Real Madrid man's league tally for the season is now up to 20, which is five shy of chart-topper Ciro Immobile, and his streak definitely puts him back in the conversation to finish as the top scorer in Italy this season.
The Italian media has heralded his resurgence after doubts over his capabilities as a 35-year-old player arose in the initial stages of the campaign. The attacker was struggling for fitness just a few months ago, highlighted by his substitution during the Bianconeri's clash against AC Milan in November after which he went straight to the tunnel and reportedly left the stadium before full-time.
Ronaldo's spectacular turnaround is unlikely to encounter a roadblock as he also gets warmed up for the Champions League knockout fixtures that are just around the corner. Furthermore, the pressure that comes with the business end of the season appears to be one of his prime motivators and it won't be long before he surpasses or equals Immobile's goal tally in Serie A.
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#2 Maurizio Sarri reconstructing a team to accommodate Ronaldo's instincts
Ronaldo has attempted to keep up with his advancing age by continually changing his game to fit his abilities year-to-year. His final years at Real Madrid saw him refraining from too much involvement in buildup play but he managed to become a lethal goalscorer courtesy of his aerial threat, intelligent movements and his tendency to get into central positions from the wings.
Since his arrival at Juventus, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner has overseen a turnaround in approach as he is now seen involved in multiple aspects of their attacking game as he did when he was younger. Maurizio Sarri's willingness to readjust a part of his strategy to maximise the Portuguese ace's influence on the pitch, coupled with his indulgence in the forward's incessant pursuit of perfection, has reaped benefits for the Bianconeri this year and is likely to continue for the remainder of the present campaign.
#3 Ronaldo is a proven goalscorer with a lethal drive for competition
Ronaldo's repeated inclusion in the conversation surrounding football's best goalscorers is well-earned as he has proven himself to be an unstoppable goal machine even at the age of 35, with records, numbers, and accolades to back his immeasurable form.
The Portuguese talisman registered 118 goals in all competitions during his six-year spell at Manchester United and multiplied his tally exponentially when he moved to Real Madrid as he netted 450 goals for the club to become their all-time top scorer. The former Sporting Lisbon man has recorded 54 goals for the Old Lady in all competitions so far and is set to further increase his unprecedented numbers in the years to come.
Ronaldo's ability to upset the odds and his never-ending pursuit of individual and combined success, coupled with the motivation he derives from scrutiny and snubs, also serves as one of the primary reasons why he could surpass Immobile to win the Serie A Golden Boot at the end of the ongoing campaign.
#4 Ronaldo is more settled in Italy than he was in his debut season
Ronaldo's disappointing maiden campaign- when judged by his lofty standards- has been justified by a large section of fans as slow assimilation into his new surroundings.
The 35-year-old missed out on the Serie A Golden Boot by a large margin as he was outscored by the likes of Quagliarella (26), Duvan Zapata (23) and Krzysztof Piatek (22) who all tallied more goals than him (21) in the Italian top-flight. The situation was similar for him in Europe as Kylian Mbappe was considered the only competitor for eventual Golden Shoe winner Lionel Messi.
The Portugal international now enjoys a better understanding with his teammates and is understood to be more settled in his new club. The arrival of Sarri, which was expected to further destabilise the dynamics in the team, has instead benefitted the forward as he appears to be enjoying the best campaign of his Juventus career.
One can definitely expect Ronaldo to put up an intense fight for the top spot in the goalscoring charts, especially if he continues his incredible streak in the weeks to come.
