Published 14:47 IST, March 3rd 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo sets new milestone by reaching 20-goal mark for 12th season straight
Cristiano Ronaldo's goal vs Spezia on Tuesday meant that the Portuguese star has now scored at least 20 league goals in each of the last 12 seasons.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
On Tuesday, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 20th league goal of the season for Juventus in a 3-0 win against Spezia at the Allianz Stadium. In a stunning display of consistency that has spanned for over a decade, the Portuguese forward has now scored 20-plus league goals in each of the last 12 seasons. The last time Ronaldo failed to score 20 league goals was in his final season with Premier League side Manchester United during the 2008/2009 campaign.
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Juventus vs Spezia: Andrea Pirlo's side claim vital three points to keep pressure on Milan rivals
Despite dominating for the majority of the game in the first half, it took the hosts until the 62nd minute to break the deadlock against Spezia. Alvaro Morata opened the scoring for the Old Lady before Federico Chiesa doubled the lead for Juventus nine minutes later. Cristiano Ronaldo then all but confirmed the win with his goal in the 89th minute, rounding off a lethal counter-attack.
The win for Juventus left them in third place in the Serie A standings, with 49 points from 24 games. Pirlo's men are now behind Milan on 52 points and leaders Inter with 56 points, both of whom are in action this week against Udinese and Parma respectively. The gap still leaves Juventus with work to do in their quest for a 10th consecutive Scudetto.
Cristiano Ronaldo record: Portuguese ace's incredible consistency
Ronaldo's goal against Spezia was his 20th for Juventus in the league this season. His incredible run of goalscoring consistency began in 2009-10 in his first season with Real Madrid after he had scored 18 goals in his last season with Manchester United. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored at least 25 times during each of his nine seasons in Madrid, hitting the 40-goal mark three times during his trophy-laden tenure in the Spanish capital.
Meanwhile, Barcelona's Lionel Messi is one league goal away from extending his streak of consecutive 20-goal seasons to 13, but the Argentine won't have the chance to do so until Saturday against Osasuna.
Cristiano Ronaldo goals: Ronaldo's stellar Juventus record
Ronaldo scored 52 league goals across his first two seasons in Serie A, winning two league titles for the Bianconeri. However, despite his stellar performances in domestic campaigns, Juventus have struggled in Europe and are yet to win the Champions League since 1996.
Ronaldo has netted 72 goals in the Italian league across his three seasons with Juventus so far and has racked up 92 goals across all competitions. This season, Ronaldo has scored 27 goals in all competitions.
Image Credits - Juventus Instagram
Updated 14:47 IST, March 3rd 2021