FIFA Player of the Year nominee, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his third brace in four games, as he helped Juventus to a 4-0 win against Parma, in the Italian Serie A.
The reigning Italian champions are currently in the third position on the league table behind Inter Milan, on a three-goal difference. The Turin side remains unbeaten after 13 matches this season. However, the gap could be widened considering that league leaders AC Milan and Inter Milan have played one game less.
Ronaldo had failed to convert a spot-kick in a midweek game against Atalanta, which saw the game end in a 1-1 draw.
READ ALSO: Rohr, Musa Disagree on Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year
“Ronaldo was quite rightly angry with himself after missing a penalty,” Juve coach Andrea Pirlo told DAZN.
“But fortunately he didn’t have much time to stew over it and immediately got the chance to show just how much he loves to score goals.”
“We’re slowly getting to what we all want, not just me, but also the players,” added Pirlo, whose side drew five of their first nine league games of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo started up front, pairing up with his former Real Madrid teammate Alvaro Morata against Parma, with Paulo Dybala ruled out after suffering a muscle injury.
Juve slowly got into the groove of the game, relying on 42-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to stop a goal-bound attempt by Juraj Kucka from putting Parma in front.
Buffon was playing against his former team, where he lifted the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup titles in 1999.
“Whenever I come to Parma, there’s no denying it, I always have this nostalgia within me,” said Buffon, who turns 43 next month.
