Serie A

Parma forward Dejan Kulusevski has dismissed speculation linking him with a January transfer amid rumours regarding interest from Manchester United. 

Kulusevski, who is currently on loan at Parma from Atalanta, is enjoying a breakthrough season and has emerged as one of the most exciting players in the Italian top flight. Unsurprisingly, talk has been building about interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs.

However, the man himself has dismissed any suggestion he may be on the move in the midseason window and will make a choice over a possible transfer at the end of the campaign, per SVT (h/t Football Italia).

"When you think about the future, you forget the present," he said. "That’s why right now, I’m only thinking about improving more with each day. I certainly don’t know what will happen in the future. I’m focused on improving and I’ll make a decision at the end of the season."

Per Football Italia, in addition to the Red Devils, Serie A leaders Inter Milan have been mentioned as possible admirers.

The high-profile interest is testament to the quality of performances the 19-year-old has turned in in the 2019-20 season.

The Scouted Football account provided the numbers behind what has been an impressive beginning to the campaign for the Sweden international:

Per Statman Dave, there's only one player in Italian football this term who has been more creative than the teenager:

This season, Kulusevski has been used in a variety of positions across midfield and attack for Parma, although he's been most effective on the right flank.

In that position, he's afforded extra freedom and offers a fantastic outlet on the counter-attack. What's been so impressive about the Parma star this season has been his ability to make smart choices in the final third.

The technical quality, transition speed and productivity shown by Kulusevski this season are huge assets, and with the right guidance, it's easy to see him developing into a fantastic footballer. Per Italian football writer David Amoyal, he's already performed well in some big games too:

The Swede produced this sensational run and pass to set up Gervinho late on against Napoli earlier this month, securing a memorable 2-1 win for Parma:

It would appear as though there is a mature head on Kulusevski's shoulders too, as he appreciates the value of getting regular football with Parma for the remainder of the campaign.

His short-term ambition should be continuing to get in the Parma XI and adding more positive facets to his game. Provided his development remains on an upward trajectory, speculation linking him with European heavyweights will only intensify ahead of the summer.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has completed his move to Italy, returning to former club AC Milan on a free transfer after leaving L.A. Galaxy.

The Rossoneri confirmed the news in a cryptic social media post:

AC Milan announced Ibrahimovic has agreed a deal until the end of the season with the option for one more. He will have a medical on January 2 and then train with the team for the first time.

The 38-year-old also offered his first thoughts on returning to AC Milan for another stint with the Serie A giants.

"I'm coming back to a club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love," he said. "I'll fight together with my team-mates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen."

The Swede played for the Rossoneri between 2010 and 2012 before stints with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and L.A. Galaxy. He became a free agent after the 2019 MLS season.

Early in December, he suggested a return to Italy was close in an interview with GQ Italia (h/t Corriere della Sera, via Football Italia). Napoli, AS Roma and Bologna were reportedly interested in his services, but a return to Milan always seemed most likely.

The Rossoneri are in dire need of attacking reinforcements, with the forward positions proving to be a major problem area both this season and throughout the past decade:

Krzysztof Piatek has failed to live up to the hype this season, regressing after finding the net 22 times during the 2018-19 Serie A campaign. Milan have struggled as a whole and find themselves well behind their main rivals for the European tickets.

When Ibrahimovic last played for Milan, they were still among Italy's elite clubs and UEFA Champions League royalty.

He won the 2010-11 Serie A title with the Rossoneri and played a role in their second-place finish the following year. Milan haven't finished in the top two since, and they have found themselves outside of the Champions League spots in six straight seasons.

The 38-year-old has collected an impressive amount of silverware, winning domestic titles with Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Milan and PSG, as well as the Europa League and EFL Cup with United.

He's unlikely to have a similar impact on a slumping Milan team, but his return will give the disappointed Milan fans something to be excited about after the horror first half of the season. 

Romelu Lukaku has said Cristiano Ronaldo told him Serie A is the "hardest defensive league in the world" after the striker swapped Manchester United for Inter Milan in the summer transfer window. 

The striker told Rory Smith at the New York Times that he spoke to the Juventus forward ahead of kick-off when the two clubs met at the San Siro for a league clash in October:

"He told me this is the hardest defensive league in the world. He said he'd scored goals everywhere, but this was the toughest place to do it. And if Cristiano Ronaldo thinks it's difficult, then it must be really difficult. It's harder than England. The football is more intense there, but here everything is pattern of play."

Lukaku left the Red Devils in the summer transfer window after two seasons to join Inter Milan on a five-year deal for a club-record fee of €80 million (£74 million), per BBC Sport.

The Belgium international scored 42 goals in 96 games for the Red Devils but only 15 of those came in his final season as he fell out of favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Lukaku has thrived since joining the Nerazzurri and has hit the ground running with Antonio Conte's side:

He has formed a strong partnership with Lautaro Martinez in attack, particularly away from home:

The duo's goals have helped fire the team to the top of the Serie A table, level on points with defending champions Juventus heading into the winter break.

The 26-year-old has 12 league goals to his name in 2019-20, two more than Ronaldo. Lazio's Ciro Immobile is the only player to have scored more than Lukaku in Italy's top flight so far this season.

Squawka Football compared his form to last season at Manchester United:

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez told Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) that Lukaku is enjoying success in Italy because "there's a feeling between him and Conte" and he is "more at ease."

Lukaku has often faced criticism throughout his career for missing chances but is enjoying a new lease of life in Serie A where Conte seems to be getting the best out of the 26-year-old.

Lazio clinched the Italian Super Cup on Sunday, shocking Juventus 3-1 at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Luis Alberto gave Lazio a deserved lead after they started the quicker of the two sides. Juventus were able to get a crucial foothold in the contest in first-half stoppage time, though, with Paulo Dybala on hand to prod home from close range.

In a scrappy second period, Lazio eventually got back in front thanks to a fantastic goal from Senad Lulic, who hammered home a volley in the 72nd minute. 

A forgetful day for Juventus was compounded in injury time, when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was given his marching orders for a second yellow card. Danilo Cataldi's brilliant free-kick then clinched the game for Simone Inzaghi's side:

Despite being the underdogs, Lazio were able to settle the quicker of the two sides and had Juventus pinned back for long spells from kick-off. The opening goal came after a period of sustained possession for the Biancocelesti.

The ball broke to Alberto on the edge of the penalty area, and the midfielder showed excellent composure to stroke the ball into the top corner.

Italian football writer David Amoyal noted Alberto is among the standout players in Italian football at the moment: 

Per The Sportsman, the Lazio star has been one of the most productive players in Serie A in 2019-20: 

Maurizio Sarri had made the decision to start Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in attack for Juventus. As the half went on, the former of that trio started to have a bigger influence on the contest.

Dybala came close to opening the scoring for Juventus in the first period, as he flashed a left-footed shot just wide on the half-hour mark. Then, on the brink of half-time, the Argentina international did find the back of the net, prodding home after Ronaldo's shot was saved by Thomas Strakosha.

Per Italian Football TV, Dybala has an excellent record in the competition against Lazio: 

With Juventus back on level terms, there wasn't the same intensity in their play at the start of the second period, and that made for a cagey second period.

Eventually, it was a moment of supreme quality that got Lazio back in front. A cross was flicked on to the back post, and Lulic arrived on point to thud home a brilliant volley:

Per OptaPaolo, Lulic has netted some big goals for Lazio this year:

Even with Ronaldo and Dybala on the field, Juventus offered little in terms of late pressure, as Lazio dropped into a solid shape and contained their opponents in the final stages.

Strakosha was called into action to palm away a Dybala header, but Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi would have been delighted with the manner in which his side saw the contest out, with Cataldi adding the gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.

What's next? 

The match is the final one of the year before both sides. Lazio are next in action against Brescia on January 5, with Juventus hosting Cagliari a day later.

The 2019 Supercoppa Italiana takes place on Sunday, with reigning Serie A holders Juventus ready to play Coppa Italia winners Lazio in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Juve are the Super Cup holders after defeating AC Milan 1-0 last season. The one-off match has been held outside of Italy for seven of the past 10 years.

It's the second consecutive season the Supercoppa has been held in Saudi Arabia after last year's game in Jeddah.

Extra-time and penalties will be played if the score is level at full-time.

Date: Sunday, Dec. 22

Time: 7:45 p.m. local, 4:45 p.m. GMT, 11:45 a.m. ET

Venue: King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

TV: BT Sport 2 (UK), ESPN Deportes, Rai Italia Nord America (USA)

Stream: BT Sport App, ESPN+

Odds: Juve 11-10, Lazio 14-5, draw 12-5 (via Oddschecker)

Preview

The Old Lady's dominance of Italian competition extends to the Super Cup, with Juve winning four of the past seven Supercoppa finals.

Lazio hold a Supercoppa win over the Turin giants in recent years thanks to a 3-2 victory in 2017 at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Eagles are the only side to defeat Juve this season after a 3-1 league win in Rome on Dec. 7. It's the Italian champions' only loss in all competitions since the beginning of the campaign.

Lazio are a dangerous side at present. A record of six wins in their last seven underline a steely focus in defence and attack.

Simone Inzaghi's men have conceded fewer Serie A goals than the leaders this term, and Ciro Immobile's form in attack continues to impress.

The 29-year-old began his career at Juve, but after a journeyman career, the player is now Serie A's top scorer.

Immobile has 17 goals and five assists in Serie A this term, and he should be Lazio's primary threat on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner in last season's Supercoppa, and the iconic Portuguese will want to repeat last season's endeavour in Saudi Arabia.

According to Jonathan Spencer for MailOnline, Juve will take to the field in a one-off Arabic edition of their famous Bianconeri shirt with the players' names written in the local language on their backs.

Juve's chief revenue officer Giorgio Ricci said: "Through this choice, we want to pay tribute to a traditional art form."

The design is a collaboration with artist and Arabic calligrapher, Shaker Kashgari, and it offers Juve supporters in the Middle East a chance to see their heroes in a unique shirt.

The meeting in which the new image that Juventus would present to the world was first mapped out took place in a small ground-floor office at the club's former headquarters on Corso Galileo Ferraris in central Turin in the spring of 2016.

In attendance were Giorgio Ricci, Juve's head of global partnerships and corporate revenues, brand development manager Luca Adornato, head of brand, licensing and retail Silvio Vigato, brand manager Daniele Lunazzi, head of marketing and digital Federico Palomba and head of communications Claudio Albanese, along with representatives from New York-based brand consultancy Interbrand.

As rain drummed against the windows outside, the Interbrand team delivered a 20-minute presentation, during which they shared their vision of how to rebrand the club. The wide-ranging pitch featured a slick reworking of the Juventus logo as a simple, stylised letter "J."

Juve's officials were struck by the boldness of the proposed revamp. Although they were conscious that moving away from the existing crest would risk angering longstanding supporters, the radical redesign chimed with their desire to extend the club's reach into new markets.

"The idea of the rebrand was to reposition the club in the wider entertainment industry as a brand that was able to deliver lifestyle experiences," Ricci, who is now Juve's chief revenue officer, told Bleacher Report. "It was about being able to be identified as something wider than a pure football brand."

The reworked logo would ultimately form the centrepiece of the striking new visual identity that Juventus unveiled in Milan in January 2017. The glitzy launch event, attended by 500 guests, took place during Milan Fashion Week, which was no coincidence. The venue was deliberately, even a little provocatively, chosen to show that the new Juventus would cross boundaries in unexpected ways and that, while rooted in Turin, it was a club eager to do business with the whole world.

The goal of the facelift was to make Juventus appeal to what the club's marketing men termed "entertainment enthusiasts": global consumers of different ages and backgrounds who could be persuaded to buy into the Juve brand because it held the promise of new and exciting experiences, in the same way that people associate themselves with Red Bull, Ferrari and Harley-Davidson even if they have never drunk an energy drink, driven a sports car or ridden a motorbike.

"We needed to create an attitude brand: a brand that would capture the imaginations of people who were not necessarily into football," said Manfredi Ricca, Interbrand's global chief strategy officer, who played a leading role in the rebrand.

"We needed to look at the great, fast-growing global brands that are able to synthesise and personify an attitude. We needed to look at the Nikes and the Adidases of this world, at the Chanels and the Louis Vuittons and the Guccis. Those are the brands that stand for a clear feeling and attitude and emotion.

"If you look at the identity of Juventus, the stark simplicity of it lines up much better with a Gucci monogram or a Nike swoosh than it does with very elaborate, legacy-driven [football] crests."

The new-look Juve did not take long to move into new territories. In the three years since the rebrand went live, the club has starred in a Netflix documentary, launched a cartoon series on YouTube Kids, co-hosted a New York club night with online music platform Boiler Room, collaborated on a clothing line with London-based skate brand Palace and even supported an exhibition of innovative pipe joints at Milan Design Week. The goal of all these new activities (known in the industry as "brand stretching") has been to transform Juventus into a global brand that transcends football.

"Their ambition is to go from a very successful Italian football team to one of the biggest sporting brands in the world," Misha Sher, vice-president of media agency MediaCom Sport and Entertainment, told Bleacher Report. "It's about having relevance and profile in what is a very cluttered entertainment world."

Juve's innovative marketing manoeuvres have accompanied the club's attempts to move to the next level on the pitch, where eight years of unbroken dominance in Serie A have been offset by recurrent failures to go all the way in the UEFA Champions League. The twin objectives of on-pitch success and off-pitch growth coalesced perfectly in the summer of 2018 when Juventus succeeded in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid for an Italian-record fee of €100 million.

In addition to his on-pitch impact, Ronaldo's presence has been strongly felt at commercial level, with Juve's merchandising sales almost doubling in his first full season and the club's digital following swelling by over 50 percent to around 90 million followers.

Allied to the rebrand, the arrival of one of the most marketable figures in world sport has further served to enhance Juve's appeal to the young populations found in key growth markets such as China and the United States. Juve cannot compete with the television revenues enjoyed by their competitors in England and Spain, but as a slew of new deals with brands such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola and Japanese video game manufacturer Konami demonstrate, a player like Ronaldo can unlock commercial opportunities all on his own.

"There's more eyeballs on the club with Ronaldo," said Sher. "And if there's more eyeballs on the club, their ability to generate commercial revenue goes up significantly."

One challenge facing Juventus is how to durably secure the affections of the predominantly young supporters who have only started following the team's fortunes since Ronaldo joined. The Portugal superstar turns 35 in February and will not remain in Turin forever, but Juve's marketing team is confident that many of the relationships being built with the club's new fans will survive his eventual departure.

"The most important KPI [key performance indicator] that we're monitoring now is not the number of followers or fans within our media platform, but the level of engagement. And the level of engagement is higher than what we had 18 months ago," explained Ricci.

"It means that we're not only bringing people onto our platform, but we're engaging them. We're engaging them through content that is not only based around Cristiano, but based around our story, the club and the engagement activity that we're doing. This is basically our strategy. With this we're building our future."

Securing Ronaldo's commercial legacy forms part of a five-year business development plan that covers the period between 2019 and 2024. The plan details some of the key trends that Juve's marketing executives believe will shape the immediate future of the football industry, which include: greater crossover between sport and lifestyle branding; an increase in the prominence of individual players' media profiles; the continued growth of women's football (Juve launched a women's team in 2017); and the ongoing development of esports (an industry that Juve entered recently in partnership with Konami).

The most significant trend pinpointed in the plan centres around the evolution in the way that young people consume football. Ricci offers a stark assessment that "young generations are no longer interested in live matches," which is moving Juve to plough resources into developing other kinds of content, such as highlights packages and behind-the-scenes footage.

To that end, the most significant portion of the investment allotted to the business development programme has gone into the creation of a powerful CRM (customer relationship management) platform, which will enable the club to engage with supporters even more directly than it does currently.

"We're investing a lot in our digital platform," Ricci said. "We're building our own communication platform, which will be able to deliver content directly to our fans without being mediated by the broadcasters. This is the key trend that will completely change the football industry over the next five years."

Juve's domestic dominance on the pitch may be under threat from Inter Milan and Lazio this season, but in off-pitch matters, they continue to soar. Turnover jumped from €172 million in the 2010-11 season to €621 million in the 2018-19 campaign, with the club's value rocketing from €162 million to €1.47 billion over the same period. Following lucrative renegotiations over the last 12 months, the club's partnerships with kit manufacturer Adidas and principal sponsor Jeep are now collectively worth over €100 million a year. And the club is hungry for more.

"We must view 2019, 2020, this season, this assembly, as a new year zero for Juventus," president Andrea Agnelli told shareholders in October. "It is time to think big."

On a global scale, Juve still lag behind European football's true heavyweights and slipped to 11th place in the most recent edition of accounting firm Deloitte's Football Money League, which ranks clubs according to annual revenue. But while the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United remain the front-runners, Juve are convinced that by harnessing the opportunities created by their rebrand, by piggybacking on the massive global appeal of Ronaldo and by consistently thinking outside the box, they can begin to close the gap.

"In order to reach the current level of clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid or Barcelona, we cannot follow their course," Ricci said.

"They're part of a completely different domestic system and they're leveraging the strength of their system a lot. They've done it over the last 10 years, most importantly. But we feel like we're younger. So what we're doing is trying to reach the same level of those clubs, but by following our own way."

Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero has joked Cristiano Ronaldo should have been booked for his gravity-defying decider when Juventus won 2-1 at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday.

Ronaldo, 34, scored his 10th goal of the Serie A campaign to give Juve a temporary three-point lead at the top of the table, while Sampdoria remain just two points above the relegation zone.

Owner Ferrero, 68, maintained his sense of humour despite the defeat and told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia): "The team are there, we saw that yesterday against Juve. I must say that Ronaldo had to be booked after that leap. It was as if he was taking off like an aeroplane! Cristiano won the game, but my boys defended well."

Paulo Dybala broke the deadlock with a ferocious left-footed volley before Gianluca Caprari brought Sampdoria level, though Ronaldo's towering header was the best of the three goals:

Juventus shared a compilation of the best fan-made edits following an iconic Ronaldo goal:

The Bianconeri have regained their cushion at the top of Serie A for the time being, although Inter Milan can draw back level if they defeat Genoa at the San Siro on Saturday.

Football Italia attested to Ronaldo leaping a gargantuan 2.56 metres at the peak of his jump, while Sampdoria defender Nicola Murru was left grounded a distance below.

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri spoke at a press conference after the game and described his initial reaction to Ronaldo and Dybala's goals, via Eleven Sports:

Ronaldo's hang time in the air has drawn special praise, though BBC Sport posted evidence of the Portuguese pulling off a similar feat at UEFA Euro 2016:

The veteran forward has been dealing with a knee complaint, but that appears to be behind him after notching a fifth goal in his past four Serie A appearances.

Ronaldo can score in a fifth consecutive Italian league fixture for the first time since he joined Juventus provided he nets when they resume their Serie A campaign at home to Cagliari on January 6.

The Bianconeri spent €100 million to sign Ronaldo from Real Madrid in 2018, and Ferrero's Sampdoria are but the latest opponent to suffer as a result of his abilities.  

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has expressed his awe of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo after his stunning header in the win over Sampdoria in Serie A on Wednesday.

The Portuguese netted the winner in a 2-1 triumph for the Bianconeri. The goal saw Ronaldo peel away at the back post before producing a remarkable leap and header, giving his side the lead before the interval.

Afterwards, Sarri was asked for his thoughts on the goal, noting both Ronaldo's header and Paulo Dybala's strike left him mesmerised, per Dejan Kalinic of Goal:

"When Ronaldo scored I thought the same as the Dybala one—'f--k, wow.' But wow does not describe it all. They both scored two outstanding goals.

"[Dybala] chose a left-footed volley in a situation where 99 players out of 100 would stop the ball and then shoot. The [Ronaldo] one, I think the amount of time he spent in the air before the header was incredibly long – a wonderful, physical and technical action."

Premier Sports shared footage of the goal, as Ronaldo leapt to meet Alex Sandro's pinpoint cross:

Juventus shared the following sequence, illustrating the athleticism of Ronaldo before he scored:

B/R Football provided further details on just how high Ronaldo got off the ground to get his head on the ball:

Ronaldo's ability in the air has always been a key part of his game. The 34-year-old represents a triple threat for opposition defenders, as he can win aerial battles as well as score with both his right and left foot.

As ESPN FC relayed, this is not the first time Ronaldo has soared above defenders to grab a goal for his side:

This season has been a mixed one for Ronaldo, as the Portugal forward has struggled with injury issues and has not been at his potent best in front of goal.

Under Sarri, the former Real Madrid man has been used in different positions and has had to adapt his game. However, the goal he scored on Wednesday is a reminder that Ronaldo is at his most threatening when he's in the penalty area.

Per OptaJean, when it comes to attacking crosses, Ronaldo has been a consistent menace to defenders over the last decade:

Sarri will hope the confidence Ronaldo accrued from this goal will enable him to kick on when Juventus resume their competitive calendar in 2020. Juve have a three-point lead at the top of the table, although Inter can move level with them if they can beat Genoa on Saturday.

Ronaldo has 10 goals in 14 top-flight outings this term. Juventus will want to see him improve that ratio in the months to come, when the team will face some huge challenges in pursuit of Serie A and Champions League glory.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has suggested he'll continue playing beyond the end of the season.

The veteran stopper will turn 42 in January, and his contract with the Bianconeri expires in June.

After setting the record for most Serie A appearances by a Juventus player in their 2-1 win over Sampdoria on Wednesday with 479, Buffon told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Goal's Chris Burton):

"The reason I keep playing is that I can give myself, along with my team-mates and this club, many beautiful emotions that are worth living. ... The thing that most interests me personally, more than the games, is the role I can play that here at Juve with my team-mates, staff and managers. 

" ... With regards to the future, I let life show me the way: at this moment I would do myself an injury if I thought I would stop playing, because I feel I am a point of reference, beyond the games that are played."

In playing on Wednesday, Buffon equalled Paolo Maldini's record for all-time Serie A appearances:

The Italian isn't Juve's first-choice goalkeeper any more—that honour goes to Wojciech Szczesny, who has missed their last three games with a shoulder problem—but he has made seven league appearances this season.

Juve won't play again in Serie A until January 6, but Buffon only needs to appear once more in the competition this season to hold the record outright.

Buffon isn't quite the goalkeeper he once was. He conceded twice in Juventus' 2-2 draw with Sassuolo earlier on December 1.

He could do little to keep out the first as it was a superb finish, but the latter was an uncharacteristic error:

Bleacher Report's Gianni Verschueren praised his performance in their 3-1 win over Udinese on Sunday, though:

While he may be past his prime, as far as back-ups go, Juve could be doing much worse than having Buffon in their ranks, so it might not be too surprising if they give him an extension come the end of the season.

If they don't, a player of his experience could still make an excellent addition elsewhere as a No. 1 or a No. 2.

Cristiano Ronaldo has said his recent knee injury is a thing of the past after he scored a memorable winner against Sampdoria on Wednesday. 

The 34-year-old helped Juventus win the Scudetto in his maiden season in Italy, and his goal in the 2-1 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris temporarily lifted the Bianconeri three points clear at the top of Serie A.

Ronaldo spoke to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) following the win and reacted after being told he reached a top height of 2.56 metres to head home the 45th-minute decider:

"I didn't know that. I'm very happy with the result, it was a very difficult game and Sampdoria played well today.

"The whole team showed the right attitude. It was a good goal and I am glad to help the team with another three points.

"I had problems with my knee for a month, but that has gone now and I feel good physically. What I want is to help Juve win matches and titles."

Alex Sandro assisted both Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala in their visit to Sampdoria, where the former's intervention was required after Gianluca Caprari levelled for the hosts:

Ronaldo's knees looked healthy enough to safely bring the Portuguese down from such a spectacular height, which was difficult considering it was an awkward landing:

The veteran's past knee complaint kept him sidelined for Juve's 3-1 win over Atalanta in November, one of only three games he's missed for the Turin giants this season.

Ronaldo now has 10 goals in 14 league appearances this campaign, and ESPN's Matteo Bonetti marvelled at his most recent effort:

Siavoush Fallahi of Eurosport highlighted how well he stuck the landing in particular:

Ronaldo has scored in four successive Serie A games for just the second time since he joined Juventus from Real Madrid in 2018. He won't have the opportunity to mark a fifth until Sarri's side resume their league campaign at home to Cagliari on January 6, 2020.

Inter Milan can draw back level on points with the leaders when they host Genoa on Saturday, except Antonio Conte's side are without a win in three games and have drawn each of their last two Serie A matches.

Juventus have won the past eight Serie A titles and hope to extend their record streak this term, though football writer Carlo Garganese suggested earlier in December Inter could finally end their run:

Sarri's men beat Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen to top their UEFA Champions League group, and they look likely to progress into the quarter-finals after they were drawn opposite Lyon in the round of 16.

Ronaldo will return to face Lazio in the 2019 Supercoppa Italiana on Sunday when he'll hope to score in a sixth successive game across all competitions.