CR7 takes over as Juventus' free kick taker despite lower conversion rate

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Agosto 28, 2018 Di Oscar Rojas

Temi: Serie A, Juventus, Cristiano Ronaldo, Miralem Pjanic, Paulo Dybala

Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic admitted that both himself and Paulo Dybala have stepped down to make way for the Portuguese ace to try and score.

Juventus' coach Massimiliano Allegri has taken a stand regarding who should be the team's first option when there's a free kick to be taken, but his decision could very well be questioned by some of the team's supporters.

Today, in an interview with Juventus TV, midfielder Miralem Pjanic admitted that Paulo Dybala and himself have fallen down the pecking order when it comes to taking free kicks, making Cristiano Ronaldo the team's first option.

While Allegri's decision may be understood by most, the player's conversion rate when compared to that of his team-mates is quite lower, according to these stats by Opta.

In the interview, Pjanic didn't seem to have a problem with letting CR7 take all free kicks. In fact, he praised the player's skills in dead-ball situations after referring to his new team-mate as one of the best in the business.

"Cristiano is here now, someone who in the past few years has shown he is best in the world. At first when we trained on free kicks it would either be me or Dybala to take it. Now, it's 100 per cent him. He is a tremendous free-kick taker," Pjanic stated.

Despite his low conversion rate, Pjanic hints that all Juve footballers have to do is to try and make Cristiano feel comfortable when he's handed a chance to take a free kick.

Cristiano's added something to Juve. I must admit that he's very good at shooting. He'll give us so much and we're very happy to have him with us. Having him with us is very important and we can only benefit from what he'll give us. I hope he feels comfortable with us," Pjanic concluded.

CR7 is still searching for his first Serie A goal. He's taken more shots (14) than any other player in the top 5 European leagues without scoring, but he will try to change that when the bianconeri face Parma this Saturday.