Previewing Serie A as Cristiano Ronaldo looks to maintain perfect record against Bologna
Ronaldo is now the highest scoring player of all time
Soccer's newly crowned goal scoring king will be determined to extend his record at the weekend against Bologna and seeing as he has a 100% record against the club, he'll fancy his chances.
Juventus made a prominent step towards resurrecting their season on Wednesday night as they emerged victorious in the Supercoppa Italiana final with a 2-0 win over Napoli.
Second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alavaro Morata were the difference as the 36-time top flight champions acquired another piece of silverware for their ever-expanding trophy cabinet.
In addition to the adulation of victory, there was a renowned celebration for a legacy-defining goal that rewrote the soccer history books once more.
Breaking more than the deadlock, Ronaldo's 64th minute strike was the 760th of his career, officially making him the highest goalscorer for club and country in the history of the sport - beating the 65-year-old record set by legendary Czech forward, Josef Bican.
Amazingly, the astounding Portugese forward achieved the phenomenal feat in just 1,040 games, further cementing his place as one of the best ever.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 760th goal tonight to officially become the highest goalscorer in history.
— Paddy Power (@paddypower) January 20, 2021
Pele has just requested to add the 422 goals he scored in training to his total.
As expected from the model professional though, it's straight back to business, as Juve look to turn their league from around when they host 12th place Bologna on Sunday night.
Having already broken the legendary record, it will come as no surprise if the illustrious number seven further extends his tally at the weekend.
Let's take a look at the numbers.
Stat Attack
Ronaldo boasts a 100% win record against Bologna, emerging victorious in the four Serie A games and single Coppa Italia fixture he has played against them.
Juventus have scored two goals in four out of the five games he's featured in, barring a 1-0 away league win in the 2018/19 season.
Registering two goals and one assist against I Rossoblu, the Portugese forward averages a goal contribution every 1.6 games against the club.
All of Ronaldo's contributions have come within the opening half-hour of a game, so expect to see lots of early involvement from the attacker.
Three best matches
Juventus 2-1 Bologna
Serie A
October 19, 2019
Receiving a commemorative shirt before the game to mark his tally of 700 career goals, Ronaldo scored his 701st against Bologna, after just 19 minutes.
Having won the ball from a wayward Ladislav Krejci touch, he surged into the box, fooling the defence with a quick stepover before beating the keeper at his front post.
Miralem Pjanic grabbed the second on the 54th minute mark, to seal a 2-1 victory for Juventus and extend their lead at the top of the Serie A.
Bologna 0-2 Juventus
Serie A
June 22, 2020
Inspiring yet another victory in last season's title-winning campaign, Ronaldo grabbed the opener in a comfortable 2-0 victory at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium.
Juventus were awarded a penalty midway through the first half after Matthijs De Ligt was brought down in the area.
As cool as ever, the number seven made no mistake in converting, hammering the ball into the bottom right corner.
The first-half spotkick crowned Ronaldo the highest scoring Portugese player in Serie A history with his 43rd goal, taking him ahead of Rui Costa.
Juventus 2-0 Bologna
Serie A
September 26, 2018
Despite missing out on a goal, Ronaldo was able to mark his influence in another victory for the Old Lady, providing an assist for Blaise Matuidi.
He found the Frenchman with a pacy ball to the back post, who finished in style to double their lead.
Another trademark display from the Portugese star and Paulo Dybala ensured the Turin giants maintained their unbeaten domestic run.
Tip of the fixture
Likely to continue his impressive form so far this season, Ronaldo is 12/5 to score a brace on Paddy Power. The odds could change from the time this was written.
By Owen Thompson
