Cristiano Ronaldo “did really well” on his Serie A debut for Juventus despite not finding the target in a 3-2 win over Chievo, says Massimiliano Allegri.
The Portuguese superstar, who has been eased into the Bianconeri fold following a €112 million (£100m/$128m) transfer from Real Madrid, took in his first competitive outing for the club on Saturday.
Much is expected of Ronaldo after linking up with the Turin giants, with the five-time Ballon d’Or winner seeking to replicate the success in Italy that he has previously enjoyed in England and Spain.
The 33-year-old did look a little rusty as Juve battled their way to a dramatic victory on the road, but Allegri believes that is to be expected and believes improvement will come over time.
The Bianconceri boss told Sky Sport Italia: “Ronaldo held out well physically, has only been training with us for seven days and did really well. It’s a pity he wasn’t able to score a goal.
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“It depends on the characteristics of the players near him. Ronaldo had several shots on target today, Sorrentino made several saves, there were also some good movements that were not rewarded by the midfielders. Those are movements that must be read from the back with the ball provided in the right spot.
“I was most impressed that Ronaldo settled in to the team, he was very happy in the dressing room and had his chances.
“The main problem tonight was we let the concentration levels drop and we simply cannot afford to do that.”
Juve took the lead against Chievo inside three minutes, but were pegged back to trail 2-1 before a Mattia Bani own goal restored parity and Federico Bernardeschi snatched a stoppage-time winner.
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Sami Khedira was the man to break the deadlock, with the German one of several stars looking to step up this season in the face of increased competition for places.
Allegri added: “Khedira is a player beyond reproach. He scored nine goals last season, immediately got one today. I heard a lot of criticism since he’s been at Juventus and he always replied on the pitch. He’s one of those players who understands the tempo of the game and you miss him when he’s not there.
“Joao Cancelo had a good first half, then after the penalty – which can happen – he let his head drop and almost seemed to feel guilty. These things can happen, the important thing is to react to them.
“When you have as much quality as we do, including Alex Sandro and Cancelo at full-back, you need to finish off the game earlier. We had the chances and dominated possession, but didn’t finish it.
“It’s a different approach to the attack and supply when Ronaldo is there compared to [Mario] Mandzukic. I saw some positive things, others less positive. In the first half we got stretched out and there was no reason for it. We had to remain organised.
“We were caught napping on the equaliser and did better with Bernardeschi and Mandzukic coming on towards the end. We need to find balance, but the most important thing is not to fall asleep when we’re doing well.”
