What’s the story?
Ahead of the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo has come out and said that though the Italian giants have one of the best defences in Europe, they have a weak spot that can be exploited by the defending European champions. The two sides meet in the final on 3 June at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
Soon after both Real Madrid and Juventus wrapped up their 33rd league title in La Liga and Serie A respectively, the Real Madrid forward spoke to UEFA’s official website and was asked to give his opinion on the Old Lady’s strong defence. Ronaldo praised the Italian champions but fired a warning, stating they were not impenetrable.
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“[Juventus] are an excellent team,” Ronaldo said. “As they proved by winning both Serie A and Coppa Italia. And they have completed a fabulous campaign in Europe.
“They like using tight coverage, like Atletico,” he continued. “While Juventus certainly have a superb defence, there is always a weak spot, we need to find out how to attack it.”
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In case you didn’t know...
Real Madrid had a tough path to the Champions League final, having to beat the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich and arch-rivals Atletico Madrid in the knockout stages to get there. This is their third final in four years, having won on the previous two occasions in 2014 and 2016. They are also looking to be the first team to defend the title in the Champions League era.
Juventus, on the other hand, looked very comfortable in reaching the final. The side with a rich mix of veterans and young talent were hardly troubled by Porto, Barcelona and AS Monaco as they reached their second final in three years. They previously lost to Barcelona in the 2015 final.
The heart of the matter
Zinedine Zidane has his work cut out for him as he prepares Real Madrid to meet his former team. Juventus have only conceded three goals in the entire tournament – twice in the group stages and once against Monaco when young Kylian Mbappe scored a consolation goal in the second leg of the semi-final where Juve ran out 4-1 winners on aggregate.
With Gianluigi Buffon in goal supported by the likes of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli in defence, Max Allegri has managed to keep his side defensively solid at the back with Dani Alves and Alex Sandro on the flanks dropping back when Juventus do not have the ball.
However, Cristiano Ronaldo has had a late goalscoring spurt in the competition this year and has scored 10 goals so far – including a hat-trick against both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. He is one goal behind Lionel Messi who is this season’s top goalscorer with 11 goals.
Video: Ronaldo’s 10 goals in the Champions League this season
Author’s take
Juventus have had the same core in their defence for years now and if they have a weakness, it is one that is known to very few. Apart from their superb form in the Champions League, Allegri’s side have also conceded the fewest goals in Serie A (27).
Breaking them down will be a tough task and it could depend on who starts for Real Madrid. However, Ronaldo could step up when a set-piece opportunity presents itself – be it a free-kick or a penalty. And don’t discount Sergio Ramos’ ability to score from corner kicks.
