Three reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo would score his first Juventus goal this weekend

After the international break which was observed to enable national teams to engage in various friendlies and competitive fixtures, all attention would turn back to the European club scene, as domestic action resumes across the continent.

The primary focus would be on the biggest leagues in Europe, with the Italian Serie A getting more than its fair share of attention, not least because of the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old Champions League record goalscorer completed a shock transfer to Juventus during the last transfer window, after nine immensely successful years at the Bernabeu with Real Madrid, and with him went a massive set of feverishly dedicated supporters, who would be watching his every move at the Old Lady.

His start to life in Serie A with the defending champions hasn't gone according to plan, as after three matches, Ronaldo is yet to get his first competitive goal for Juventus.

That is a relatively strange scenario for Ronaldo, as he is used to banging goals aplenty, cumulatively being the record goalscorer for Portugal, Real Madrid, and the Champions League.

However, Ronaldo's propensity for goalscoring means it is only a matter of when and not if he would get his debut goal for Juventus, and with Serie A action returning this weekend, we might witness Ronaldo opening his goals chart for Juventus.

Here are three reasons why Ronaldo might score his first Serie A goal this weekend.

#3 The international break afforded him an opportunity to rest

Cristiano Ronaldo is Portugal's captain and talisman, and his presence on the pitch always lifts his teammates on the international scene to higher performance levels, with his extraterrestrial abilities helping Portugal to relative success in the last decade.

Ronaldo's work ethic and dedication to the cause is well documented, and his ultra-competitive nature means that he rarely misses any match, which is an incredible feat, considering that he is 33, and has maintained an average of over 50 matches a season for the best part of the last 15 years.

However, despite his best efforts at maintaining his fitness, he is still very much human, subject to reduction in body performance like the rest of us, and this fact has seen Ronaldo's game time managed in recent years, with Zinedine Zidane rotating him for key moments over the last two seasons at Real Madrid.

Portugal coach Fernando Santos also opted not to include him in the squads for the friendly and Nations League clashes with Croatia and Italy, respectively.

While his teammates were representing their country with distinction, Ronaldo was cooling his heels in a much-deserved break, taking to social media site Instagram to share a picture of him chilling at the beach.

After his exertions in helping Real Madrid win the UEFA Champions League for the third consecutive season, and inspiring Portugal to the round of 16 at the World Cup, the break would help rejuvenate Ronaldo, and this could see him score the first of undoubtedly many goals for Juventus this weekend.

#2 Juventus has an outstanding record against Sassuolo

It is no hidden secret that Juventus is utterly dominant in Serie A, and this dominance has seen them play out one-sided matches against most teams in the Italian tournament, particularly in their home stadium.

Their opponent on Sunday, Sassuolo, is one of the more dominated teams, with the Turin club winning each of their last five fixtures against Sassuolo. Indeed, their last fixture at Sunday's venue ended in a convincing 7-0 victory for Juventus.

The last time Sassuolo got a point against Juventus was way back in October 2015, and since then Juve has scored 16 goals in five matches against them, conceding just two.

Even though Ronaldo has struggled in front of goal in recent games, Sassuolo is not exactly the strongest of opponent for Juventus and visiting the Allianz stadium is a daunting prospect for any Italian team, much less one with a bad record like Sassuolo.

Juve's home form and dominance over their visitors means that we could be in for a thrashing on Sunday, and if another high scoring game is played out, it is hard to see Ronaldo not being among the goalscorers.

#1 Tongues have begun to wag, and it is time for Ronaldo to shut them up

Juventus v SS Lazio - Serie A — Ronaldo has constantly had to face criticism throughout his career

A lot of eyebrows were raised following Ronaldo's shock transfer to Juventus, not least because of the huge amount expended to get his services.

At 33, there are many who believe Ronaldo is past his prime and saw it as foolish on Juventus' part to have spent in excess of €100m for a four-year contract, which would see Ronaldo turn 37 at the expiration of his contract.

However, Juventus have already reaped huge rewards financially off the deal, with the club's stock soaring in the hours following the confirmation of the transfer, and more sales of Ronaldo's jersey recorded than that of the entire Juventus squad last season.

Ronaldo has constantly had to deal with criticisms over his performances, as his high-performance levels over the years made any drop in form thrust into the spotlight, but despite all the negative reports, Ronaldo always found a way to silence his critics by stepping up to the plate when it was least expected.

After going three matches without finding the back of the net, the naysayers have begun their campaign of suggesting Ronaldo is past his prime, but as he has shown on numerous occasions in the past, their criticism would only spur him to achieve greater things, and the first step would be by breaking his duck this weekend against Sassuolo.

Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.