VALENCIA – Cristiano Ronaldo’s first Champions League appearance for Juventus lasted only 29 minutes as the competition’s record scorer was sent off.
In spite of that, his side opened their Group H campaign with a 2-0 win at Valencia on Wednesday.
Penalties either side of halftime by Miralem Pjanic sealed the points for the visitors as Valencia’s return to European competition after a two-year absence went flat.
The night was overshadowed by Champions League record scorer Ronaldo’s straight red card for a seemingly innocuous tangle in the area with a Valencia defender.
He appeared as stunned as the Mestalla crowd when German referee Felix Brych handed out his punishment.
A penalty miss by Daniel Parejo in stoppage time summed up Valencia’s night.(Reuters/NAN)
