Champions League match day 1
Cristiano Ronaldo left his teammates prematuerly at the half hour mark when the game was tied at 0-0. Despite being one player down, Juventus are more than just Ronaldo as the Italians converted two awarded penalties by Pjanic for a 2-0 win at Valencia.
First ever red card for Ronaldo in Champions League
Ronaldo saw red for the first time in 154 Champions Leagues match. It was an act of excessive aggressiveness and the referee did not hesitate to send him off. However Juventus coach called for the introduction of VAR in UEFA competitions to avoid controversies in such circumstances.
“The Cristiano sending off is one of those examples of how VAR helps the referees. Things could have got complicated for us, having been reduced to ten men for a red card that was non-existent, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
He was upset and he needs time to calm down. He needs to rise above it and focus on Sunday, even if these things leave a bitter taste in the mouth.”
The Italian Juve coach added:
“This gives us the best possible start, but we can’t let up now. We play away on Sunday and then we face Napoli and will need to beat Young Boys.
Tonight we were able to dictate the play, get ourselves into the lead and then manage the game well without giving away chances. It’s definitely been a useful test.
“We worked hard and we managed not to concede, which is great news. You’re unlikely to concede goals when you’re as focused as we were tonight. And we’re also becoming more vibrant going forward.”
The other games.
Bayern Munich started their campaign with a 2-0 win at Benfica. Ajax Amsterdam top AEK Athens 3-0. Donetsk and Hoffenheim split point with 2-2 draw, same result for Plzen vs CSKa Moscow.
