VAR cancels Ronaldo’s injury time winner
Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Massimiliano Allegri’s starting XI as Juventus drew their Serie A opener against Udinese.
With ongoing speculation surrounding his future, reports suggested Ronaldo asked not to be picked.
But Juve director Pavel Nedved denied the rumours, insisting it was a “shared decision” not to start the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
“He is absolutely staying at Juventus,” Nedved told broadcaster DAZN.
Ronaldo, 36, replaced Alvaro Morata on 60 minutes and thought he had headed in an injury-time winner from Federico Chiesa’s cross, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for offside.
Returning boss Allegri chose Morata to lead the line in a front three that also included Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado, who were both on target.
Dybala opened the scoring inside three minutes, before Cuadrado doubled the lead with a low drive.
Roberto Pereyra pulled a goal back with a penalty against his former club after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny’s clumsy lunge on Tolgay Arslan.
The hosts equalised in dramatic fashion as former Everton and Watford winger Gerard Deulofeu’s 83rd-minute strike stood after VAR overturned the on-field decision that had ruled it out.