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Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain 'Examples' at Juventus, Says Gianluigi Buffon
December 12, 2019
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hailed Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain as good "examples" after the team's UEFA Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
The Italian champions were able to pull away from their opponents late in the game, with strikes from Ronaldo and Higuain enough to give Maurizio Sarri's team a 2-0 win. They qualified as winners of Group D, ahead of Atletico Madrid.
It was a professional performance from Sarri's side in Germany. Afterwards, Buffon said there were facets of the display that should give the team confidence moving forward, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Tom Webber of Goal):
"If we face the games this way, I am sure we can all do great things. However, if we approach matches with a sense of snobbery, that becomes a problem.
"It's a bad sign if you don't go into games with the right determination if you are 20, let alone in your 40s. I am glad that we had examples like Higuain and Ronaldo to lead the way in their performance, work ethic and show of sacrifice for the team."
Here are the highlights from the match at the BayArena, with the Bianconeri scuppering Leverkusen's qualification hopes:
Given Juventus had already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition before the match on Wednesday, Sarri could have rested key performers like Ronaldo and Higuain.
However, following on from their disappointing 3-1 loss to Lazio in Serie A on Saturday, it felt important Juventus got back to winning ways quickly. They did thanks to the razor-sharp finishing of their forwards and a strong defensive effort, including some big saves from Buffon.
The 41-year-old goalkeeper was in a relaxed mood ahead of the encounter in Germany:
Per OptaPaolo, it was a landmark night for the veteran goalkeeper:
Displays like the one on Tuesday will give Juventus supporters hope that their team can make a deep run in the competition.
Not only are they capable of snuffing out vibrant attacking talent, in Ronaldo and Higuain they possess two of the most ruthless finishers in the competition. That means they will always be a goal threat.
Ronaldo has enjoyed the Champions League throughout his career:
Ronaldo, Higuain and substitute Paulo Dybala linked up well during the game:
Domestically, Juventus have a fight on their hands to win Serie A this season, with Inter Milan two points ahead of the champions after 15 games.
Sarri will hope the competitive edge needed to win that tussle will keep the team sharp in the Champions League in the latter stages. If they are focused and in form, Juventus will be a challenging prospect for anyone in the last 16 and beyond.