OXFORD United right back Hidde ter Avest has recalled the time he played a crucial role in halting a title triumph for Cristiano Ronaldo.
On July 23, 2020, Juventus headed to ter Avest’s former side Udinese, knowing a win would wrap up the Serie A title.
However, Udinese spoiled the party, winning 2-1 thanks to Seko Fofana’s solo winner in stoppage time.
READ ALSO: Get unlimited U’s news in our latest flash sale
Dutch centre back Matthijs de Light gave Juventus a first half lead, but Ilija Nestorovski equalised for the hosts seven minutes into the second half.
Fofana struck at the death, delaying the title celebrations for Juventus, who in addition to Ronaldo, boasted the likes of Paulo Dybala, Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey in the starting XI.
Ronaldo lined up on the left wing, directly against ter Avest, who recalled: “It was in the coronavirus times, so it was without the fans, which is a shame, but we won the game at home.
“I started the game, and he played left wing. He didn’t score.”
Juventus and Ronaldo would ultimately go on to lift the Serie A title with a 2-0 win against Sampdoria in their next game.
ter Avest, who has also played for Twente and Utrecht in Eredivisie, added: “I’ve come up against a lot of quality players of course, but also in Holland, when you play the teams like Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV, they have a lot of quality players, and especially in Italy, every game is a big game.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here