When the first goal finally came, it couldn’t have been any easier for Cristiano Ronaldo.
It took the former Real Madrid forward nearly 320 minutes to score his first league goal for Juventus and he did it with the simplest of tap-ins. Ronaldo doubled his tally shortly after as the Bianconeri beat Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A on Sunday.
It was Ronaldo’s fourth league match for Juventus since his Serie A record 112 million euro (then $131.5 million) move from Madrid and the relief on his face was obvious as he tore away in celebration after breaking his duck in the 50th minute. Ronaldo ran to the corner flag with his arms outstretched and displaying a huge grin. He then jumped in the air as he turned back to the field and waited to be embraced by almost all his teammates, who ran over to celebrate with him.
“I wanted to score, I’m really happy,” said Ronaldo, who had missed several good chances in previous games. “That’s football. What’s most important is to win and to do well. Certainly there was a bit of pressure in general after my move from Real, there was a lot of expectation. That’s life, I’m working well. My teammates are helping me hugely to adapt to this new league.”
His first goal came after Sassuolo defender Gian Marco Ferrari could only head a Juventus corner onto the left post and Ronaldo was waiting to volley in a rebound from less than two yards out.
Juventus, which is seeking a record-extending eighth successive Serie A title, is the only team still with a perfect record. It was Sassuolo’s first defeat of the season.