Ronaldo wanted to impress - Bernardeschi sympathises after Juve superstar's red
Cristiano Ronaldo's controversial red card in his first Champions League appearance for Juventus earned him sympathy from team-mate Federico Bernardeschi.
An off-the-ball clash with Valencia defender Jeison Murillo resulted in Ronaldo, the all-time leading scorer in the competition, being sent off in the 29th minute.
The 33-year-old appeared to raise his hand to Murillo without malicious intent, before seemingly pulling the centre-back's hair after he tumbled to the floor inside his own box.
Referee Felix Brych consulted with his assistants before showing Ronaldo a straight red, leaving the Portugal superstar in tears.
Juve still managed to secure a 2-0 win at Mestalla thanks to a pair of Miralem Pjanic penalties, but Bernardeschi was upset Ronaldo was denied the chance to make the impact he wanted for the Turin giants.
He said: "To me the decision wasn't the best one, but if that is what the ref saw, what could we do?
"We know how much Ronaldo wanted to impress tonight. He had been gearing up for this and to help us win.
"I feel for him because I know how much he wanted to start with a bang in the Champions League for Juventus. It went differently but when he is back, you will see for sure."
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Hard to beat Let’s go @juventus #VCFJuve #UCL #FinoAllaFine #ForzaJuve
A post shared by Federico Bernardeschi (@fbernardeschi) on Sep 19, 2018 at 2:48pm PDT