Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo's work ethic 

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo praised talisman Cristiano Ronaldo for his work ethic. The former Manchester United man has started this season on fire, scoring a brace against AS Roma and a goal against Sampdoria. Pirlo said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo works very hard. He is the first to come to training and the last to go home. He brings enthusiasm, you can notice it on the pitch as well. He started the season really well, I hope he will keep doing like this until the end of the season."

"I hope he'll score one or two goals every game. He is really important for us. In Rome we were a man down and he helped a lot until the end of the game. He is an example for everyone."

Did you know: Cristiano Ronaldo's famous "Siuuu" celebration originated at the 2013 ICC? 😎 pic.twitter.com/CBgOo7zoyD

— International Champions Cup (@IntChampionsCup) October 3, 2020

Andrea Pirlo: "Cristiano Ronaldo is the first to training and last to leave"

Juventus have started well in Serie A, playing with confidence and vigour which eluded them in the year under Maurizio Sarri. With the Old Lady's upturn in form, Cristiano Ronaldo has started the season like he means business.

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal shoots during the UEFA Nations League

The Portuguese will renew his rivalry with Lionel Messi of Barcelona after Juventus and Barcelona were drawn in the same UEFA Champions League group with Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros. Juventus are hungry for European success, as many stalwarts of the team including Ronaldo, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci are towards the end of their career.

Just one of 3⃣4⃣ hat-tricks scored by @Cristiano in #LaLigaSantander. 🎩✨#LevanteRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/R9kjMIiBDp

— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) October 4, 2020

Pirlo remains confident of his team's chances despite the tricky nature of the group. He said:

"We are in a very good group. It's always great to face Barcelona because it brings more responsibilities and attention to our players. We know we'll play lot of games, but I think it is good that we'll play the first game in Kiev. In October it's less cold than December there, maybe we'll not play in the snow then."

Juventus take on Napoli on Sunday, with both teams having COVID-19 related concerns. While Juventus have committed to playing the game, it might be postponed if Napoli have issues in travelling to the stadium.