JUVENTUSHOW VITAL IS THEIR FRONT-LINE
COMBO OF CRISTIANO RONALDO
AND ALVARO MORATA?
It’s no exaggeration to say that the
European ambitions of theBianconeri
will live or die according to the
production levels of this outstanding
Portuguese-Spanish duo. In the group
phase the pair were responsible for ten
of the team’s haul of14 goals – Morata
netting six and CR7 delivering four- and if their round of16 opponents
Porto do not get a handle on them, it
will bearrivederci,Dragons.
Morata, who joinedJuve from Atletico
Madrid last summer on a single-season
loan deal, allegedly had a strained
relationship with Ronaldo when they
were team-mates at Real Madrid a few
years ago. However there seems to be
no friction now. They are feeding off one
another, combining with intelligence and
mobility, and not fighting for the same
balls. Morata tends to attack the
near-post, while Ronaldo ghosts in on
the far side. They simply work splendidly
together, Morata’s preference for deep
runs, perfectly complementing the
Ronaldo’s scattergun, move-where-I-
please instincts.
“Morata has turned out to be the
ideal twin for Ronaldo,” recently wrote
journalist Antonio Barilla in Turin’sLa
Stampanewspaper. “They are
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUEKnockout stage
fundamental toJuve.” They most
certainly are. The numbers speak
volumes. Ronaldo has provided 40 per
cent ofJuventus’ goals this term.
Morata, for his part, has proved equally
valuable, notching11 goals and seven
assists in all competitions by mid-
January. With the pair in tandem,
Juventus normally prevail.
Crucially both men have an excellentChampions League pedigree. Ronaldo,
of course, is the all-time leading
marksman in the Champions League
(with134 goals) and has won the
competition on five occasions with
Manchester United and Real Madrid.
Morata has two winners’ medals (both
with Real Madrid) and came very close
to making it a hat-trick in a previous
stint withJuventus in 2014-15,
First season...Andrea Pirlo