Ronaldo scores 750th goal in first Champions League with female referee

Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) celebrates after scoring the 2-0 during the UEFA Champions League Group G soccer match between Juventus FC vs FK Dynamo Kyiv at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, 2 December 2020. Photo: EPA/Alessandro Di Marco

Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo (middle) celebrates after scoring the 2-0 during the UEFA Champions League Group G soccer match between Juventus FC vs FK Dynamo Kyiv at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, 2 December 2020. Photo: EPA/Alessandro Di Marco

Published Dec 2, 2020

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TURIN - Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo scored the 750th goal of his remarkable career in a 3-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday as Stephanie Frappart became the first female referee to take charge of a Champions League match.

Federico Chiesa, with his first-ever Champions League goal, and Alvaro Morata were also on target while Ronaldo reached another milestone although it was far from his most spectacular goal as the ball appeared to go in off his shin.

The 35-year-old has scored 450 goals for Real Madrid, 118 for Manchester United, 102 for Portugal, 75 for Juventus and five for his first club, Sporting.

With Juventus already qualified from Group G and Dynamo Kyiv already eliminated, the main interest was focused on Frappart but the Frenchwoman was barely noticed -- usually regarded as a good sign for a referee's performance.

Frappart, who made her Ligue 1 debut in April last year, booked three players and ignored one penalty shout from the Ukrainians in the first half when Benjamin Verbic went down under a challenge from Leonardo Bonucci.

Juve, second in the group with 12 points and three behind Barcelona, went ahead in the 21st minute when Chiesa scored with a textbook downward header from Alex Sandro's teasing cross.

Match referee Stephanie Frappart during a recent Europa League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester. Photo: Mike Egerton via BackpagePix

His first goal in the competition came just over 20 years after his father Enrico scored his last, for Fiorentina against Bordeaux.

Ronaldo side-footed against the bar before halftime but, as usual, the Portuguese was not to be denied and was on target in the 57th minute with his tenth goal in eight games this season.

Chiesa whipped in a low cross, goalkeeper Georgiy Bushchan palmed it against Morata and Ronaldo scored from close range. The goal was confirmed after a VAR review.

Chiesa was also involved in setting up the third goal for Morata in the 66th minute to round off a convincing Juventus display.

Reuters

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