On Your Marks, Get Set, Watch: It's Cristiano Ronaldo's Serie A Debut!

Chievo vs Juventus

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to officially start his life in the Serie A.

After nine successful years with Real Madrid that saw him bag two La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and four Ballon d’Or trophies, Ronaldo left the Bernabeu and decided to take on a new challenge in a league that he has never played in before.

Now, the Portuguese talisman is slated to play in his first-ever game in the Italian top-flight when his Juventus visit Chievo at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi for the opening fixture of the new season.

Talking Points

Juventus begin their quest for an eighth straight Scudetto, and all eyes will be on them after their acquisition of Ronaldo from Los Blancos.

The Bianconeri upgraded in all fonts this summer as they also prepare for their European tour, but their frontline undoubtedly got the biggest boost with the arrival of CR7. After all, with Ronaldo leading the attack, goals are certain to come in one way or another.

Ronaldo has impressed since his arrival, with his first day of training even grabbing headlines after he showed his scoring ability. His world-class talent was even more evident when he scored eight minutes into his first friendly before following it up with another offensive display against Juve’s U-23 squad.

Max Allegri has nothing but high praises for his new striker, and he expressed his high hopes for the team overall.

“Ronaldo has above all brought experience at international level and is an extra motivation for the younger guys to aim higher. You don’t win five Ballon d’Or trophies for nothing and you can see how hard he works to get there,” the Italian boss said via Goal.com.

Allegri, however, pointed out something that is also everybody’s concern: integration. The 51-year-old manager admitted that their friendly against the club’s youth team was the first time that he has “really seen his whole squad play together,” and that’s something they need to address as soon as possible.

There will be growing pains in the start for Juve; and although they are expected to produce the best Serie A 2018 results, fans can’t expect them to be at their very best right from the off given the limited time they have with their players.

Massimiliano Allegri has virtually a fully fit Juventus side to choose from when they take on Chievo in Serie A — Massimiliano Allegri is targeting Juventus’ eighth consecutive league title in the new season

Chievo, for their part, also made some key signings this summer in hopes of improving their 13th-place finish last year. One of the best moves they made was the acquisition of midfielder Joel Obi from Torino.

The Nigeria international scored five goals in the Serie A last season, more than the individual tally scored by all but one of Chievo’s players. Obi is expected to lead the attack for the Flying Donkeys now that Roberto Inglese, last season’s top-scorer, is gone.

Another thing to watch out for in this opener is the reception of fans. Chievo’s average attendance last year was around 11,000, and that’s expected to double against Juve, in the opener, in Ronaldo’s official debut—some smart business here.

History

Chievo haven’t won against Juventus for almost eight years now. The last time they won a Serie A game against the Bianconeri was way back in 2010. Juve haven’t lost a game to Chievo since then, winning 11 games and drawing five.

Last year, Juventus scored five goals and kept a clean sheet in their home-and-away fixtures against the Verona-based squad. They scored 3-0 in their meeting in the Allianz Arena the followed it up with a two-to-nothing victory in Chievo’s home turf.

Interestingly, Gonzalo Higuain scored in both games. Unfortunately for Juventus, the Argentine star is currently on loan to AC Milan after Ronaldo’s signing effectively dropped him in the pecking order.

For what it’s worth, Sami Khedira and Paulo Dybala were the other two scorers in those 2017/18 fixtures, and both of them are still with the seven-time Italian champions.

Betting Tip

	Chievo vs Juventus	Juventus Asian Handicap -2.00 @ 2.38
	August 19, 00:00 (GMT+8)

This is another David-vs-Goliath match-up designed to make Juventus look good. The league doesn’t want their best team and most marketable squad losing in the first game, right?

The initial SBOBET football offers for Serie A 2018 betting have Juventus winning at 1.24 with 1X2 odds. In contrast, Chievo are at a far-off 11.00 and the draw at 5.60.

Considering that Juve won by an average of 2.5 goals in their two meetings last year, I expect them to replicate that success. With that said, I predict it to be a one-sided affair with at least three goals. There’s Ronaldo, after all.