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Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus boss makes Champions League concession ahead of Valencia clash
CRISTIANO RONALDO’s move to Juventus does not make the Serie A giants favourites for the Champions League according to boss Max Allegri.
Cristiano Ronaldo performs Juventus initiation song
Ronaldo signed for Juventus this summer having helped Real Madrid to three Champions League titles in a row.
Many have tipped the Old Lady to lift the European Cup for the first time since 1996, though they have finished as runners-up five times since that win.
The most recent of those came in 2017 when Ronaldo’s brace helped to break Juve hearts.
Ronaldo also ended Juventus’s European dream last season when they met Real Madrid with Los Blancos winning the first leg 3-0.
The Serie A side battled back though, scoring three at the Bernabeu before Ronaldo netted a 97th minute penalty to dump Juventus out and put Real into the last four.
Juventus begin their Champions League campaign this evening as they make the trip to Spain to take on Valencia.
And though Allegri admits the signing of Ronaldo boosts Juventus’s chances, he doesn’t believe his side are favourites for the Champions League.
“The goal is to remain amongst the top four teams,” Allegri said.
“We aren’t the favourites but one of four or five teams that can win, even though this competition can be strange.
“A good performance will boost our confidence. We’ve made a leap forward with Ronaldo, but we must not forget Juve have reached the finals twice in recent seasons.
“This doesn’t mean we are a given to play for the Champions League, though this increases our chances. Tomorrow we must play like a great team.
“A win will make our journey easier, a draw means we are in a good spot, while a defeat means we’ll have to bounce back.”
Ronaldo netted 15 goals and four assists in 16 league games against Valencia while at Real Madrid.
Champions League latest odds - Who will win the competition? (Top eight)
Manchester City 5/1
Barcelona 6/1
Liverpool 7/1
Juventus 15/2
Real Madrid 8/1
Bayern Munich 8/1
Paris St-Germain 9/1
Atletico Madrid 12/1
(Odds from Betfair)