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Allegri told which player will get the best out of Ronaldo

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Former Juventus manager Marcello Lippi has explained the one player Massimiliano Allegri lacks to get the best out of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo needs a Karim Benzema-type striker alongside him to thrive, says Marcello Lippi.

Despite rating Ronaldo as the world’s best goalscorer, Lippi believes the Portuguese ace isn’t a natural striker. The former Bianconeri boss reckons he needs a No.9 alongside him, as he had with Benzema at Real Madrid, to bring out his A-game.

The problem with that, as Lippi points out, is Juventus don’t really have a true No.9. Aside from Ronaldo, Massimiliano Allegri only has two other recognized center-forward options – Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is the strongest scorer in the world. He does not create them, but he makes them concrete,” Lippi told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“What is important is that the team offers them a lot. He was never a true center forward, he always needed a type 9-Benzema next door, but Juve don’t have this 9.

“I imagine Allegri will make him play with two other strikers, in a system of cuts, overlaps, and changes of position that will not give reference points to the defenses.”

Who is Lippi?

 The 73-year-old is a former player and manager. He was the last man to coach Juventus to glory in the Champions League back in 1996 after defeating Ajax on penalties in the final in Rome.

Back in the day, Lippi boasted a star-studded squad in the likes of Edgar Davids, Didier Deschamps, Alessandro Del Piero, and Antonio Conte.

Lippi also led Juventus to five Serie A titles across two separate spells before leaving in 2004 for the Italian national team, where he would lead the Azzurri to glory in the 2006 World Cup.

When will CR7 and Juve return to action?

 Ronaldo and the team have one last friendly coming up against Atalanta on Saturday in Turin.

Then it’s back to business as Juventus pay a visit to Udinese on August 22 for the first game of the new Serie A season.

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