No Ronaldo, no problem for Juventus

GENEVA — Real Madrid managed to win easily in the Champions League without Cristiano Ronaldo. So did Juventus, after its superstar signing was tearfully sent off within 30 minutes.

Three-time defending champion Madrid eased to a 3-0 win over Roma on Wednesday, with Francisco “Isco” Alarcon scoring from the kind of free kick only Ronaldo got to take in his nine years with the club.

Ronaldo, making his Juventus debut in a competition he has won five times, also had a new experience — getting a red card against Valencia for tangling with Jeison Murillo.

Seemingly frustrated that Murillo went to ground too easily, Ronaldo reached down to tug or ruffle the defender’s hair.

German referee Felix Brych did not have access to a video review but showed a red card after consulting his assistant behind the goal.

It was Ronaldo’s first sending off in 154 games in the competition and left him in tears.

Still, Juventus went on to win 2-0, scoring twice from penalties despite designated spot-kick taker Ronaldo not being there. Miralem Pjanic scored both times.

Elsewhere, one of the favourites to dethrone Madrid this season, Manchester City, lost at home and Manchester United won away to further dispel its uneasy start to the season.