If you thought Team Cavani vs. Team Neymar was one helluva little squabble, just wait until you see Juventus players standing over a free kick this season! Cristiano Ronaldo is taking his technique of hiking his shorts up his butt crack and cracking a knuckleball to Turin, and the big money move should have an interesting effect on Juve’s free kick hierarchy.
At Juventus, the back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back Italian champion is absolutely loaded when it comes to dead ball deliveries: Paulo Dybala is considered one of the best on the planet and midfielder Miralem Pjanic isn’t far behind.
Check out all of Juve’s brilliant free kicks from the 2017-18 season, featuring Dybala, Pjanic and bit of additional spice from Federico Bernardeschi.
But Ronaldo isn't bad at them either.
Cristiano Ronaldo freekick goal vs Spain #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/MBwbVrD7is
— World Cup (@WorldCupFootby) June 15, 2018
The worry here is the 24-year-old Dybala will be shooed aside, especially when the game is in its dying embers and Ronaldo has the perfect opportunity to assume his power stance, inhale and exhale rhythmically and power one into the corner (or straight into the wall).
As the five-time recipient of the Ballon d’Or, you’d have to think direct free kick duties will be Ronaldo’s. Ronaldo will also be making $35 million per year, whereas Dybala’s salary is reportedly just over $8 million. I think we know who calls the shots there.
Can Massimiliano Allegri manage to avoid what Unai Emery could not? More importantly, who will play the role of Dani Alves and shield the ball from Dybala while looking to give it to Ronaldo? Alex Sandro will do.
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