Parma vs. Juventus was once a high profile Serie A fixture, the two clubs having met many times in the past including the 1995 UEFA Cup final. Yet last Saturday’s encounter between the two saw the home side run out with very different lineup to those halcyon days throughout the 1990s, Parma having risen swifty up the leagues since bankruptcy and relegation to Serie D at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.
Aside from recent signing Gervinho, there were no famous names on their team sheet and, when an amateurish defensive display in the opening minutes saw Juve – winners of the last seven consecutive Scudetti – take the lead in only the second minute, it seemed like the final score could become embarrassingly high.
Yet Parma would find their stride, and much like Chievo Verona in the opening week, they made things very difficult for the reigning champions. An equaliser from Gervinho would ultimately be in vain as Blaise Matuidi put the Bianconeri back in front, Parma not strong enough to find a second reply as the scores finished 2-1.
But wait...what about Cristiano Ronaldo?
When the former Real Madrid man joined Juve in a surprise transfer this summer, it was expected that the superstar forward would make mincemeat out of Serie A’s smallest sides. Instead, CR7 has become an increasingly frustrated figure as three games have passed without a debut goal for the 33-year-old, the player with the most shots (27) in Europe’s top five leagues without having found the back of the net.
Various theories about why this may be have undoubtedly emerged, after all, Ronaldo is one of the world’s most talked about footballers. Perhaps his age is taking its toll? Perhaps Serie A has more quality defences among the smaller sides than La Liga? Ronaldo is clearly desperate to open his account – as revealed by his body language in the three matches so far – however the answer lies in the weight of expectation more than any of the aforementioned factors.
When a player is built up to such gargantuan levels in terms of reputation, it is always difficult to marry this to reality. Many young people base their knowledge of the likes of CR7 and Lionel Messi through computer games, and advertising increases their status even further. As talented as Ronaldo may be, he is only human, and adjusting to life in a new league after almost ten years in Spain is difficult for anyone to do.
Statistics also reveal that August has been difficult for Ronaldo, his record for Real Madrid highlighting that the forward fired in just nine times during the opening month in nine years. That said, September was his best month on average as the former RMCF man scored no less than 57 goals once he had the chance to get warmed up for Los Merengues.
So there really is no need for Juventus supporters – or indeed the legions of CR7 fans around the globe – to become worried by the superstar player’s early struggles in black and white. Following an international break during which Ronaldo will not join up with the Portugal squad, Juve face Sassuolo, Valencia in the Champions League, Frosinone, Bologna and finally Napoli, a month that will provide plenty of opportunity for the number 7 to break his duck.
