The Portuguese superstar’s goals are obviously being missed, but the Bianconeri’s defence is in disarray, as the midfield continues to toil
This was the last thing Juventus needed.
It was not just that Spezia had equalised against them on Wednesday evening, but the goalscorer, Emanuel Gyasi, had then imitated Cristiano Ronaldo’s famous ‘Siu!’ celebration.
The Ghana international was merely mimicking his idol, but it must have felt like mockery to beleaguered Bianconeri fans.
Ronaldo may be gone, but he has certainly not been forgotten at Juventus. Not yet, at least. The nature and, in particular, the timing of his departure still rankles.
And both the success of his stay in Turin, and the impact of his exit, had been repeatedly pored over during Juve’s worst start to a Serie A season since 1961.
Massimiliano Allegri, though, had said the time for talk was over ahead of the trip to Spezia.
“It’s been 60 years since Juventus had two points after the first four games of the season,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We just need to win.”
And they did.
Juventus kickstarted their campaign with a 3-2 victory, and while it was not convincing, it was certainly essential. The Old Lady had begun the day in the relegation zone, after all.
But the worrying thing is that it looked like a battle between two teams fighting for survival, a low-quality contest between two sides incapable of defending.
Allegri conceded that his side had been lucky not to fall 3-1 down early in the second half, but he will obviously take some positives out of the game.
