As countries start easing COVID-19-induced lockdown orders, fans are rejoicing in a much-awaited return of European football.
One of those to make a comeback to the pitch has been Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo - the Portuguese professional footballer plays as a forward for Serie A club Juventus and captains the Portugal national team.
Months since the 1-1 draw opener at San Siro stadium in February, on 12 June Juventus and AC Milan played the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, marking the return of professional football in Italy.
With the country – one of the hardest-hit by the epidemic - still recovering from the toll claimed by COVID-19, there were no fans around to witness the action, something that Ronaldo might have been thankful for.
As the five-time Ballon d’Or winner stepped up for a penalty in the 15th minute, he failed to deliver, slamming the ball into the post.
Soon after, forward for Serie A club Milan, Ante Rebic was sent off for a high foot.
A WILD turn of events in the Coppa Italia!
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 12, 2020
- Cristiano Ronaldo misses a penalty
- Ante Rebic is sent off
Watch on ESPN+ ➡️ https://t.co/tBc4gLrRC4 pic.twitter.com/G8gmSp9mkh
Fans online were quick to dismiss the shot as either “bad luck”, or an “off-day”.
oh he rusty rusty 🥴
— Gio (@teamgioo) June 12, 2020
It was a good shot but bad luck
— Mazen Barazi (@MazenBarazi2) June 12, 2020
Smh. Warm up game from quarantine. No biggie
— Karim Pradhan (@pradhan_karim) June 12, 2020
Ronaldo is the greatest player on the planet. Doesn’t mean he can’t have an off-day.
— Evan Allred (@EvanAllred3) June 12, 2020
Missed so Rebic could get a red. My goat
— Sillo (@silloweet) June 12, 2020
Some netizens waded into the “Messi vs Ronaldo” debate.
People, god damn, stop comparing Messi and Ronaldo, both are legends an you cant deny that one
— Robotropic (@robotropic) June 13, 2020
One could argue that football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is somewhat rusty after the pandemic-enforced inaction, and needs some time to swing back into his customary top-notch form. Nevertheless, one can imagine the response from the crowd if there had been one packing the stadium…
Still, Juventus are through to the Coppa Italia final again, despite drawing a goalless 0-0 draw against AC Milan.
With 1-1 on aggregate, Juve move ahead on away goals, and are now seeking their fifth Coppa crown in six years.
