Juventus battle to stay among Europe’s elite
PORTO: Cristiano Ronaldo returns to his native Portugal for the first time as a Juventus player as his side face Porto on Wednesday with the Italian giants fighting to keep up with Europe’s most powerful clubs in the Champions League.
On the field Juve are still finding their feet under novice coach Andrea Pirlo but they crave European glory more than anything having lost five Champions League finals since last winning the trophy in 1996.
Juventus have dominated Serie A for the last decade without managing to win the Champions League. Porto, meanwhile, are the only club from outside the so-called ‘Big Five’ leagues in this season’s last 16. Both are two-time European Cup winners.
For the Turin side, success in Europe this season appears even more important as their domestic domination shows signs of faltering under Pirlo with hopes of a 10th consecutive Scudetto in peril.
A 1-0 defeat at Napoli on Saturday left Juventus eight points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, albeit with a game in hand.
“This defeat will not bring us down,” insisted Ronaldo. “Let’s raise our heads and think about the Champions League.”
Juve’s hopes will be on fivetime Ballon d’or winner Ronaldo, the Champions League record goal-scorer with 134 goals, signed from Real Madrid in 2018 to deliver them the trophy. Ronaldo faces a Portuguese team for the first time since 2016 when with Madrid he beat his former club Sporting 2-1.
TV Timings: Porto v Juventus, Live on Sony Ten 2 & 3, 1:30am
Sevilla v Dortmund, live on Sony Ten 1, 1:30am (Thu)
“I think for a striker it is much harder when you come into the situation and you don’t have chances,” Werner said. The summer signing from Leipzig netted in the 39th minute against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, making it an even 1,000 minutes on the pitch since his last league goal on November 7.
A fourth straight league win since Thomas Tuchel replaced the fired Frank Lampard lifted Chelsea back into the fourth Champions League place.
TV timings: Burnley v Fulham, 11:30pm; Everton v Man City, Live on Star Sports Select 1 & HD, 1:45am (Thu)