Chievo 2-3 Juventus (2018): Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A Debut
On 18 August 2018, Chievo 2-3 Juventus at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona marked Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A debut, and he did not score. Sami Khedira put Juventus ahead after three minutes, but Chievo led 2-1 through Mariusz Stępiński and an Emanuele Giaccherini penalty. An own goal levelled it on 75 minutes, then Federico Bernardeschi struck in stoppage time to win it 3-2, so, as ESPN reported, Ronaldo’s teammates made him a winner on his opening day in Italy.
Juventus’s most expensive signing, a base 100m euro deal (112m euro all-in, per the BBC), began his Italian career on the back foot, subdued by Chievo’s defenders and rescued by a late own goal and a substitute’s toe-poke. Here is how the afternoon in Verona actually played out, goal by goal.
Key Facts
- Played on Saturday 18 August 2018 at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi, Verona, in front of around 28,000 (Transfermarkt lists 28,375; ESPN’s by-date report gives 29,500). It was matchday one of the 2018-19 Serie A season.
- Chievo 2-3 Juventus. Khedira scored on 3 minutes, Stępiński equalised on 38, Giaccherini’s penalty made it 2-1 on 56, an own goal levelled it on 75, and Bernardeschi won it on 90+3.
- This was Cristiano Ronaldo’s competitive debut for Juventus and his first Serie A appearance. He did not score; SI reported he was “well subdued by Chievo’s defence” for most of the match.
- Ronaldo had joined from Real Madrid in July 2018. Juventus’s official statement set a base of 100m euro; the BBC reported the all-in fee as 112m euro (£99.2m).
- The referee was Fabrizio Pasqua. A Mario Mandžukić header on 86 minutes was disallowed by VAR for a foul by Ronaldo in the build-up, per Juventus’s match report.
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How Ronaldo’s Juventus Debut Unfolded in Verona
Khedira’s Fast Start
The champions could hardly have begun better. Within three minutes Sami Khedira slammed home a loose ball after a Miralem Pjanić free kick, and Juventus led 1-0. For a short while it looked as if the Ronaldo era would open with a routine away win. Chievo, though, had other plans, and the neatness of the home side began to unpick a Juventus back line still finding its rhythm.
Chievo Turn It Around
Mariusz Stępiński headed Chievo level on 38 minutes, meeting a Giaccherini cross to make it 1-1. Then, on 56 minutes, the game turned on a penalty: Cancelo was penalised for bringing Emanuele Giaccherini down inside the area, and the former Juventus man calmly stroked the spot kick past the goalkeeper to put the hosts 2-1 ahead. The reigning champions, Ronaldo included, were suddenly chasing the game on the opening day.
| Minute | Scorer | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sami Khedira | Juventus | 0-1 |
| 38 | Mariusz Stępiński | Chievo | 1-1 |
| 56 | Emanuele Giaccherini (penalty) | Chievo | 2-1 |
| 75 | An own goal | Juventus | 2-2 |
| 90+3 | Federico Bernardeschi | Juventus | 2-3 |
Bernardeschi’s Last-Gasp Winner
Juventus needed their bench, and Federico Bernardeschi, introduced in the second half, changed the game. On 75 minutes an own goal, following a Bernardeschi corner, brought the visitors level at 2-2. Sources split on who got the final touch, with ESPN and Transfermarkt attributing it to Mattia Bani as an own goal and Juventus’s own report crediting Leonardo Bonucci, so it is best described simply as an own goal. There was late drama, too: Mario Mandžukić headed the ball in on 86 minutes, but the referee reviewed the passage and disallowed it for a Ronaldo foul in the build-up. The winner still came. Deep into stoppage time, on 90+3, Bernardeschi stretched out a toe to Alex Sandro’s low delivery and steered the ball home for 3-2.
How the scoring unfolded on the day:
- 3′ Sami Khedira strikes after a Pjanić free kick, 0-1 to Juventus.
- 38′ Mariusz Stępiński heads Chievo level, 1-1.
- 56′ Emanuele Giaccherini converts a penalty to put Chievo 2-1 up.
- 75′ an own goal from a Bernardeschi corner makes it 2-2.
- 90+3′ Federico Bernardeschi toe-pokes in Alex Sandro’s cross to win it 3-2.
A Debut Without a Goal
For the man everyone had come to see, it was a quiet 90 minutes. SI judged that he “was well subdued by Chievo’s defence” for most of the match, and he was kept off the scoresheet while his team-mates found the goals that won the points. Ronaldo would not have to wait too long for his first Serie A goals, but his debut belonged to Khedira, an own goal and Bernardeschi. That is the fixture’s lasting curiosity: one of the greatest goalscorers in the game’s history began his Italian adventure by being rescued rather than doing the rescuing.
READ MORE: More opening-day and debut moments in our On This Day series →
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Chievo 2-3 Juventus (2018)
What was the score in Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018?
In Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018, Juventus won 2-3 away at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona. Chievo led 2-1 in the second half, but a 75th-minute own goal and Federico Bernardeschi’s stoppage-time strike turned it around. It was the opening game of the 2018-19 Serie A season.
Did Cristiano Ronaldo score in Chievo v Juventus on his Serie A debut?
No. In Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo did not score on his Serie A debut. He was kept off the scoresheet, while his teammates earned the points. Khedira, an own goal and Bernardeschi were the Juventus scorers that day.
Who scored the goals in Chievo 2-3 Juventus in 2018?
In Chievo 2-3 Juventus on 18 August 2018, Sami Khedira scored on 3 minutes for Juventus. Mariusz Stępiński equalised on 38 and Emanuele Giaccherini’s penalty made it 2-1 on 56 for Chievo. An own goal levelled it on 75, and Federico Bernardeschi won it on 90+3.
Where was Chievo v Juventus played on 18 August 2018?
Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018 was played at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi in Verona, Chievo’s home ground. The attendance was around 28,000, with Transfermarkt listing 28,375 and ESPN’s by-date report giving 29,500. It was matchday one of the 2018-19 Serie A season.
Who scored the winner in Chievo 2-3 Juventus in 2018?
Federico Bernardeschi scored the winner in Chievo 2-3 Juventus on 18 August 2018. Deep in stoppage time, on 90+3 minutes, the substitute stretched out a toe to Alex Sandro’s low delivery to make it 3-2. As ESPN put it, his goal handed Cristiano Ronaldo a winning start to his Juventus career.
Why is the 75th-minute goal in Chievo v Juventus recorded as an own goal?
In Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018, the 75th-minute equaliser came from a Bernardeschi corner and is best described as an own goal. ESPN and Transfermarkt attribute the touch to Mattia Bani as an own goal, while Juventus’s own match report credits Leonardo Bonucci, so the sources genuinely disagree on the final touch.
Was a goal disallowed by VAR in Chievo v Juventus in 2018?
Yes. In Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018, Mario Mandžukić headed the ball into the net on 86 minutes, but the referee reviewed the passage and disallowed it. According to Juventus’s match report, the goal was ruled out because Cristiano Ronaldo had committed a foul in the build-up, before Bernardeschi’s later winner.
How much did Juventus pay for Cristiano Ronaldo before the 2018 Chievo game?
Before facing Chievo on 18 August 2018, Ronaldo had joined Juventus from Real Madrid in July 2018. Juventus’s official statement set a base consideration of 100m euro, while the BBC reported the all-in fee as 112m euro (£99.2m), including solidarity contributions and additional costs.
Who refereed Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018?
The referee for Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018 was Fabrizio Pasqua. He awarded Chievo a penalty on 56 minutes after judging that João Cancelo had fouled Emanuele Giaccherini, and he later disallowed a Mario Mandžukić header following a VAR review for a Ronaldo foul.
Was Chievo v Juventus the opening game of the 2018-19 Serie A season?
Yes. Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018 was matchday one of the 2018-19 Serie A season. Juventus, the reigning champions, opened their title defence with a 2-3 away win, and the game doubled as Cristiano Ronaldo’s competitive debut and first appearance in Italian football.
How did Chievo take a 2-1 lead against Juventus in 2018?
In Chievo v Juventus on 18 August 2018, Chievo recovered from Khedira’s early goal through Mariusz Stępiński, who headed in a Giaccherini cross on 38 minutes. Emanuele Giaccherini then converted a 56th-minute penalty, awarded when João Cancelo was judged to have fouled him, to put the hosts 2-1 ahead.
Why is Chievo 2-3 Juventus remembered in 2018?
Chievo 2-3 Juventus on 18 August 2018 is remembered as the day Cristiano Ronaldo made his Serie A debut. He did not score, and, as ESPN noted, his teammates rescued three points late through an own goal and Bernardeschi’s stoppage-time winner, an understated start to one of football’s most anticipated transfers.
Chievo 2-3 Juventus (2018)
A 2-3 away win that flattered nobody, settled by an own goal and a substitute in stoppage time, was a strange way for the Ronaldo era to begin, and that is exactly why it endures. For more debuts and opening days that did not go to script, keep exploring our On This Day series and the channel.
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