Andrea Pirlo Backs Cristiano Ronaldo to 'Make the Difference' at Juventus

Rory Marsden @@roomarsdenFeatured ColumnistJuly 23, 2018

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo arrives on July 16, 2018 at the Juventus medical centre at the Alliance stadium in Turin. Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in Turin ahead of his official unveiling as Juventus' superstar summer signing on July 17. - A Turin hit by Cristiano Ronaldo fever awaits the striker as Juventus prepare to unveil the surprise signing, that after the end of the World Cup, puts all eyes on the Italian champions and Serie A. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP) (Photo credit should read MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images)

MIGUEL MEDINA/Getty Images

Juventus legend Andrea Pirlo has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to help the Old Lady in their ambition to win the UEFA Champions League.

Massimiliano Allegri's side have made the final of Europe's biggest club competition twice in the last four seasons, and Pirlo believes Ronaldo can be the final piece of the puzzle, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia):

"Cristiano Ronaldo can bring that something extra, which Juventus need. I'm happy that a great champion has joined Juve. Buying a player like him doesn’t win you the Champions League alone, but you get a lot closer to it.

"Ronaldo is a player who tilts balances, and he can help Juventus win the Champions League. He's a top player, he'll make the difference and we'll see something beautiful."

Ronaldo, 33, made a shock move from Real Madrid to Juve earlier this month as he joined the Serie A champions in a £99.2 million deal.

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The Portuguese star played a key role in Real winning four of the last five Champions Leagues, while he won it for the first time in 2008 when at Manchester United.

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He is the all-time leading scorer in the tournament's history and has been top scorer in each of the last six seasons.

Only Clarence Seedorf has ever won the Champions League with three different clubs, a feat Ronaldo will surely be eager to match now he has made the switch to Juve.

Per beIN Sports USA's Matteo Bonetti, the forward's medical with Juve has revealed his age continues to be no barrier for Ronaldo:

Matteo Bonetti @TheCalcioGuy
Cristiano Ronaldo's physical state has been compared to a 20 year old after his Juve medical. Body fat: 7% (10-11% is avg w/pros) Muscular mass: 50% (46% is avg w/pros) Ran 33.98km in World Cup, fastest in the entire tournament

Few, if any, other players in history would have commanded such a huge transfer fee at the age of 33.

But Ronaldo continues to perform to an astonishingly high level, and as noted by two-time Champions League winner Pirlo, he could be the component that sees Juve to their first title since 1996.