Ten-man Juventus fought to overcome Valencia after Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a straight red. The feisty game finished 2-0 With a brace from Miralem Pjanic.
Juventus See Off Valencia Despite Ronaldo Red
A First Champions League Red For Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears after being shown a straight red card. The card came midway through the first half. This became the main talking point in a tense match that tested both sets of defences and goalkeepers.
After a lot of deliberation with the officials, Felix Brych saw it fit that Ronaldo took an early bath. He fought with Jeison Murillo, pulling his hair. Juventus fans were outraged at the decision. They hoped they would get to experience a couple of goals similar to those he scored at Madrid tonight.
Ronaldo was devastated to have been sent off. The visible tears showed his passion for the sport. It also showed that he doesn’t want to miss a single moment of football, especially in the Champions League.
Two Penalties the Only Thing Separating the Teams
Juventus struggled into halftime after Valencia attempted to add more pain to the Juventus camp. The penalty before the end of the first certainly changed the team talks in both dressing rooms.
It was a physical match, with 26 fouls. Juventus were finally victorious with two penalties in quick succession. Pjanic was cool and collected to score both spot-kicks and give Juventus the winning start.
The second penalty came after Murrilo and Leonardo Bonnuci wrestled in the box. It is something we have seen a lot from corners in recent months. Despite this, players seem to continue to hold and wrestle players in the area. The Referee waved away all protests before Pjanic doubled the lead.
Wojciech Szczesny managed to keep his clean sheet intact, despite 26 shots. He also saved the last-minute penalty from Danial Parejo to give the fans one more thing to cheer before the full-time whistle.
Valencia fans will be leaving the stadium frustrated after tonight. Their team had very good chances in the game and took advantage of a ten-man Juventus. However, they failed to make chances count. Valencia missing a penalty rubbed salt in the wounds of supporters.
Experience Key Factor in the Victory
Juventus used their experience and mental strength to overcome Valencia. Seven straight domestic titles behind them helped with confidence levels of the squad. The chemistry winning so many trophies brings between players is also a big factor in games like this.
Juventus manager Massimo Allegri was happy to see that his Juventus side was comfortable enough without big summer signing Ronaldo. The ability to grind out results in tough conditions are what all champions need.
Marcelino Garcia Toral will be disappointed his team didn’t take advantage of Ronaldo’s absence. They face Manchester United next, another tough fixture. Allegri will be praying that Ronaldo is only suspended for the game against Young Boys. Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, will be praying his United side will face a Ronaldo-less Juventus.
Can Juventus Finally Lift the Trophy Again?
Juventus fans will be hoping that they can lift the trophy for the first time since 1996. Tonight will fill fans with optimism for the rest of the tournament. Valencia will have to rely on slip-ups from other teams. They will attempt to recuperate and overturn Manchester United later on in the campaign.
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