UEFA Champions League| Juventus vs Ajax: Three reasons Juventus might be eliminated at Turin

#1 Overdependency on Cristiano Ronaldo

Ajax v Juventus - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: First Leg

Juventus are different this season than they were last season. They are a better team with Ronaldo because he gives them goals but they are a worse team without him than they were last season. Juventus 2017-18 was much stronger than Juventus 2018-19 minus Ronaldo. They knew how to win. They knew how to take it to the opponents. They made Real Madrid run ragged at Santiago Bernabeu as the Los Blancos barely escaped their clutches. They came back from a goal down to eliminate Tottenham.

That team had the hunger to prove themselves. They supported each other and everyone shared the load equally. Now that Cristiano Ronaldo is in the team, the others are taking it for granted it seems. People might say, well, Bernardeschi was good but he got overshadowed by CR7. Yes, he got overshadowed but if he is that good then where was he against Ajax? Where was he against Empoli and AC Milan? For that matter, where were the others against Ajax? If Ronaldo is in the team and is not playing well, Juventus struggles. They can manage with him or if he is not in the squad at all. Without him, they are more cautious and thus they manage well. With him, they let their guards down and just cross to him and pray. They cannot expect him to turn up every day. It is impossible.

He improvised well from a not-so-good cross to head the ball past Onana, luckily for Juve. They had to play him even when he wasn't at 100%. If he wasn't there, they would have been a bit more cautious about the game but surely they would struggle to break the deadlock. If their plan remains the same, predictable one. Cross to Ronaldo, fall back and defend, then good luck with that.