A staple of the European game for the best part of two decades, seeing Cristiano Ronaldo make his Al Nassr bow in Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly be strange for many.

His move was completed in December following widespread reports linking him with a Saudi switch ever since he and Manchester United parted ways the previous month.

Ronaldo featured in a kind of Saudi all-star XI match against Paris Saint-Germain during the week but will make his official Al Nassr debut on Sunday to essentially bring the curtain down on one of the greatest careers in the history of European football.

While writing off Ronaldo is always unwise, a combination of the striker's age and the unsavoury nature of his second spell at United make a return to elite European football seem improbable.

Nevertheless, as a five-time Champions League winner and the top scorer in the history of European football's premier club competition, Ronaldo's legacy as one of the all-time greats is secure.

But with seven top-flight league titles and a plethora of other trophies to his name, Ronaldo's impact on the continental game went beyond his goals on the grandest club stage.

Ahead of Al Nassr's clash with Al Ittifaq, Stats Perform looks back on his seismic impact in European club football.

Ronaldo's Premier League emergence

Ronaldo's return to the Premier League may not have gone to plan – the 37-year-old only scored once in the competition this term before an explosive interview with Piers Morgan led to his Old Trafford exit.

However, the three-time Premier League winner certainly made his mark in England, scoring 103 goals in 236 top-flight games for United.

Having burst onto the scene as a tricky winger, Ronaldo recorded 37 assists in the competition for the Red Devils, who he also helped to their third European title in 2008.

He also claimed his first Ballon d'Or while in Manchester in 2008 after scoring 31 goals in their title-winning 2007-08 campaign – that single-season tally has only been bettered by three players in the competition's history.

Making history with Madrid in LaLiga

Given the way his United spell ended, it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will be remembered as an Old Trafford legend or not. But there's no doubt about his legacy at Real Madrid, where he really made his name as one of football's greatest as he became Los Blancos' top scorer with 450 goals in all competitions.

Incredibly, the Portugal forward averaged over a goal per game throughout his trophy-laden spell in Spain, hitting the net 311 times in 292 appearances in LaLiga.

Ronaldo scored with 16 per cent of his shots for Madrid, a higher percentage than he managed in the Premier League, Serie A or the Champions League. 

Madrid may be famed for their Champions League accomplishments, but Ronaldo also helped them to two domestic title triumphs in 2011-12 and 2016-17, netting 46 times as Jose Mourinho's side earned 100 points in the first of those campaigns.

Serie A success with the Bianconeri

Given Juventus' failure to win the Champions League, few consider Ronaldo's time in Turin to be an unmitigated success. The raw numbers, however, suggest otherwise.

Managing 81 goals in 98 league appearances for a club in perpetual crisis – with a conversion rate of 15 per cent – tells the story of how Ronaldo evolved in Serie A, honing his game as the ultimate penalty-box forward in his advancing years.

Despite a tumultuous period that saw Maurizio Sarri replace Massimiliano Allegri, Juventus stretched their incredible run of Scudetto success to nine consecutive seasons.

That stint ended in Ronaldo's final full campaign at the Allianz Stadium, though he still finished as Serie A's top scorer with 29 goals. 

The Champions League master

For those who believe Ronaldo to be the greatest to have played the game, the Portugal forward's exploits in the Champions League are always the crucial factor.

Ronaldo's record of 140 goals in the competition is unmatched, though his great rival Lionel Messi (129) may have something to say about that if he declines to follow his fellow forward's lead in exiting Europe.

Averaging almost a goal contribution per game (180 in 183 appearances), Ronaldo won an astonishing 115 games in the Champions League, lifting the trophy five times – a joint-high tally.

As Madrid cemented their status as European masters by winning three consecutive titles between the 2015-16 and 2017-18 seasons, Ronaldo top-scored in the competition every season, consolidating his legacy as the ultimate big-game player.

Dusan Vlahovic and Leonardo Bonucci aimed to rally the troops after Juventus were served with a 15-point deduction.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Friday that Juve would be punished in the wake of an investigation into the club's past transfer dealings.

Ex-Juve director Fabio Paratici – who is now at Tottenham – as well as former chairman Andrea Agnelli were also handed long bans from Italian football.

The deduction has seen Juve drop from third to 10th ahead of Sunday's meeting with Atalanta, which had been set to be a tussle between two teams embroiled in a fight for Champions League qualification.

But Vlahovic, a big-money acquisition from Fiorentina last year, had a bullish message.

"We are not afraid of losing a few points," the 22-year-old posted on Instagram. 

"We are not afraid of rolling our sleeves up. We are not afraid of our opponents. We must not be afraid of anything.

"Because when they think we have fallen, we'll get back up stronger than ever.

"This is us, this is Juventus."

Captain Bonucci had a similar message.

He posted on Instagram: "Juventus are like a seven-headed dragon: cut one off and another will always emerge. She never gives up."

Massimiliano Allegri acknowledged Juventus must "do something extraordinary" to qualify for the Champions League following their 15-point deduction.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed the punishment on Friday following an investigation into the Bianconeri's past transfer dealings, though the club confirmed their intention to appeal the sanction.

Former president Andrea Agnelli and former chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene also received two-year bans from Italian football, while former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who is now at Tottenham, was given a 30-month ban.

Juve, who were third in the Serie A table, subsequently slipped to 10th and 12 points off the Champions League places with 20 matches remaining.

"When they told me that the request was nine points, I immediately made the calculation on the distance from the Champions League," Allegri said ahead of the Bianconeri's clash with Atalanta on Sunday.

"When the sentence of 15 points arrived, I made another one – points that would be needed to go to the Champions League. To get there, you have to do something extraordinary."

But Allegri has urged his players to demonstrate unity in the wake of the sanction and remain focused on the task in hand – starting with the visit of Atalanta.

"It's a special game after what happened yesterday," he added. "We must all unite even more, continue to work with a low profile. We, the staff and the players, just have to think about the pitch.

"Nothing [changes], we still have to score points. We have to try to win tomorrow. Atalanta are in great physical shape. We play at home, and it is to be faced in the best way. We have to try to do the best we can.

"We must not start again, these judicial events concern society. There will be an appeal, as the lawyers have communicated. We must think only of the field.

"Given the new standings, which is a fact for the moment, we have 22 points, and we must try to win tomorrow to get to 25."

Juventus have confirmed they intend to appeal against their 15-point deduction as they consider it "a clear injustice towards millions of fans".

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed the punishment on Friday following an investigation into the 36-time Italian champions' past transfer dealings.

Juve have slipped from third in Serie A to 10th and are 12 points off the Champions League places with 20 matches left to play.

The FIGC also hit the club's former president Andrea Agnelli and former chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene with two-year bans from Italian football.

Former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who is now at Tottenham, has been given a 30-month ban.

However, the Bianconeri have always denied any wrongdoing and hope the sanctions will be overturned on appeal.

A statement by the club's lawyers read: "Today's acceptance of the appeal for revocation by the Federal Court of Appeal seems to us to constitute a clear unequal treatment to the detriment of Juventus and its managers compared to any other club or registered player.

"We are waiting to carefully read the reasons for presenting the appeal before the Sports Guarantee College. However, we point out, as of now, that only Juventus and its managers are attributed the violation of a rule, which the sports justice itself had repeatedly recognised did not exist. 

"We believe that this is a clear injustice also towards millions of fans, which we trust will soon be remedied in the next level of judgement."

Turin Public Prosecutor's Office had been seeking a nine-point deduction following a hearing earlier on Friday.

But the FIGC announced a harsher punishment after Juve were found to have used transfers to artificially boost their balance sheet.

The sanctions come on the back of chairman Agnelli and the rest of the Bianconeri's board resigning en masse last year.

That came in the wake of an investigation being launched into financial violations during their time in charge.

A separate ruling made last year acquitted Juve and other clubs of their financial conduct within Serie A, with a case centred on player values in exchanges and transfers.

But football prosecutors reopened the case against Juve after seeking new documents collected by public prosecutors in Turin surrounding the club's conduct.

Juventus have been deducted 15 points in the wake of an investigation into the club's past transfer dealings.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed the news on Friday, with ex-Juve director Fabio Paratici – who is now at Tottenham – given a two-and-a-half-year ban from Italian football.

Paratici's ban includes a request for an extension to cover UEFA and FIFA activities, meaning potentially a big knock-on impact for Premier League side Spurs.

Former Juve chairman Andrea Agnelli has also been banned from holding office in Italian football for the next two years.

It has been widely reported the decision is likely to be appealed by Juve.

The Bianconeri had been third in Serie A, but have now dropped to 10th – 12 points off the Champions League places – as a result of the punishment.

Turin Public Prosecutor's Office had been seeking a nine-point deduction following a hearing earlier on Friday.

But the FIGC went with a harsher punishment after Juve were found to have used transfers to artificially boost their balance sheet.

The sanction comes on the back of chairman Agnelli, vice-president Pavel Nedved and the rest of the Bianconeri's board resigning en-masse last year.

That came in the wake of an investigation being launched into financial violations during their time in charge.

A separate ruling made last year acquitted Juve and other clubs of their financial conduct within Serie A, with a case centred on player values in exchanges and transfers.

But football prosecutors reopened the case Juve after seeking new documents collected by public prosecutors in Turin surrounding the club's conduct.

Juve have denied any wrongdoing, while lawyers claimed prosecutors had not brought enough in to reach the adequate threshold for a new ruling.

The 36-time Italian champions are next in action on Sunday at home to Atalanta, in what was set to be a potentially crucial clash in the race for Champions League qualification.

Prosecutors are seeking a nine-point deduction against Juventus for their player transfer accounting, following the resignation of the club's board in November.

Former chairman Andrea Agnelli and the rest of Juve's directors quit en-masse last year amid investigations into financial violations during their time in charge.

A separate ruling made last year acquitted Juve and other clubs of their financial conduct within Serie A, with a case centred on player values in exchanges and transfers.

But football prosecutors are hoping to punish Juve as they seek new documents collected by public prosecutors in Turin surrounding Juventus' conduct.

According to widespread reports in Italy, prosecutor Giuseppe Chine filed another motion on Friday, and the court of appeal will now consider the request.

Chine believes a nine-point deduction should be applied should Juve be found guilty.

Such a move would seriously hamper Juve in their quest to secure European football next season, denying them of a major source of both income and attraction to top players.

The club has denied any wrongdoing, while lawyers claimed prosecutors had not brought enough in to reach the adequate threshold for a new ruling.

In addition, Chine is seeking bans for both Agnelli and former chief football officer Fabio Paratici, who is now with Tottenham.

Federico Chiesa has vowed to make an impact for Juventus after a "horrible year" that saw him sidelined with a long-term injury.

The Italy international scored the winner in a 2-1 Coppa Italia victory against Monza on Thursday, his first goal in 378 days after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament 12 months ago.

Juventus have endured a turbulent spell in Chiesa's absence, ceding their Serie A crown to Milan and finding themselves adrift of runaway leaders Napoli this time around, as well as exiting the Champions League in the group stage.

Like the Bianconeri, Chiesa has a point to prove on his return and is pushing to aid his colleagues after being helpless amid their struggles in the past year.

"It has been a horrible year for me. I am now focusing on training and getting back into shape," he told Sport Mediaset.

"Let's say I need to get really into shape, getting used to playing every three days. I was not used to it, but I am trying to give my all to help my teammates, seeing as I was unable to help them for a year."

Chiesa's goal gave Juve a much-needed victory following a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Napoli last time out but, while it was a positive result, he admitted better performances are required.

"I think against Napoli we played very badly, we weren't aggressive enough, and I have to congratulate Monza as well for their performance tonight," he added.

"However, we defended well, were aggressive when they reached the edge of the area and know we can always score goals at the other end, but we definitely need to play better.

"As I said, we need to raise the bar. Atalanta will be a fundamental game for us to get back to the track we were on before Napoli."

Improvements are not just limited to the field, however, with significant changes in the club's hierarchy after president Andrea Agnelli, vice-president Pavel Nedved and other directors stepped down from their roles on Wednesday.

Chiesa feels the club is united in pursuit of their goals, as they bid for a successful second half of the season.

"Along with the new owners we will try to take Juve back to where the club deserves to be. We do our job on the field, the club does its off it."

Juventus claimed their spot in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Monza thanks to Federico Chiesa's sublime strike.

Chiesa, a second-half substitute in Thursday's clash at the Allianz Stadium, curled in off the post with 12 minutes remaining.

Moise Kean had given Juve an early lead but his effort was cancelled out by Mattia Valoti.

Kean saw what he thought would be a winner disallowed for offside, but Chiesa struck just after to settle the tie.

Nicolo Fagioli spurned a glorious chance for Juve in the opening moments but that miss mattered little as Kean headed Weston McKennie's cross into the far corner in the eighth minute.

Against the run of play, Valoti struck his third goal in as many Coppa Italia rounds to restore parity – Mattia Perin only able to push the forward's header into the roof of the net.

Juve's youngsters responded well, Samuel Iling-Junior firing wide and Matias Soule forcing a diving save from Cragno, but the hosts could not retake the lead before the break.

Kean came close to a second four minutes after the restart, bounding forward into the area, though Cragno was again on hand for Monza.

Juve had the ball in the back of the net after Danilo's shot deflected off Pablo Mari and against the crossbar, with Kean heading the rebound home, only for the offside flag to cut his celebrations short. 

The pressure finally told in the 78th minute, with Chiesa finding room down the left-hand side of the box and curling an effort in off the right-hand post.

Manchester City have topped the Deloitte Football Money League for the second year running, with 11 of the world's 20 highest-earning clubs coming from the Premier League.

Reigning English champions City last year became just the fourth club ever to top the list, which examines the top-performing football clubs in terms of revenue every year.

City remained the world's highest revenue-generating club in the 2021-22 campaign – the first season in which fans returned to stadiums as coronavirus restrictions were eased.

They made £619.1million (€731m) over that period to finish ahead of LaLiga giants Real Madrid (€713.8m), while Liverpool climbed from seventh to their highest position of third after making £594.3m (€701.7m).

Fellow English clubs Manchester United (fourth), Chelsea (eighth), Tottenham (ninth) and Arsenal (10th) also make the top 10, with West Ham (15th), Leicester City (17th), Leeds United (18th), Everton (19th) and Newcastle United (20th) in the top 20.

It marks the first time in the report's 26 years that a single country has provided more than half of the rich list.

"The Premier League was the only one of the big five European leagues to experience an increase in its media rights value during its most recent rights sale process," said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in Deloitte's Sports Business Group.

"It continues to appeal to millions of global followers and its member clubs have a greater revenue advantage over international rivals."

Paris Saint-Germain (fifth), Bayern Munich (sixth), Barcelona (seventh), Juventus (11th), Atletico Madrid (12th), Borussia Dortmund (13th), Inter (14th) and Milan (16th) make up the rest of the top 20.

In the women's game, Barcelona generated the highest revenue (€7.7m) after winning the Champions League in 2021 and reaching the final last year.

Ex-Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli used a farewell speech to reiterate his belief in a European Super League.

Agnelli, along with Pavel Nedved and the rest of Juve's board, resigned last year amid an investigation into alleged tax fraud.

Juve have denied the allegations, on the back of the club registering a record loss of €254.3million for 2021-22. 

Agnelli, who had held his position since 2010, bowed out officially on Wednesday, though in an address to Juve's shareholders, insisted he is still firmly backing the plan for a Super League.

Along with his counterparts at Real Madrid and Barcelona, Agnelli has stood by the proposals made in April 2021, and is showing no sign of movement on that front.

"My job has always been to understand and guide the strategic direction of society," he said. "When we talk about football, we boil it down to the action on the pitch, but football is part of the entertainment industry.

"When we talk about the sports industry, we are talking about a €140 billion industry of which football is worth a large slice.

"We have seen economic transactions, and we have seen the entry of funds with percentage transfers from companies and leagues.

"When I was president of the ECA [European Clubs Association] and of the UEFA executive committee, the analysis was evident. There was no club sustainability, a vertical polarisation of interest towards only two leagues, access to very risky financial instruments and fan disaffection.

"The proposal at the time was the creation of a league system with access different from the classic ones. This proposal was made in 2019.

"If I personally wanted to maintain a privileged situation, I would not have taken the decisions of April 2021.

"I think European football needs a new system, otherwise it risks a decrease in favour of a single dominant league, i.e. the Premier League, marginalising all the others.

"The hope is that the European Court of Justice recognises professional sport as an industry, since the turnover of football is €55 billion. I thank Real Madrid and Barcelona who, together with Juventus, had the courage to face the threats from UEFA."

Agnelli confirmed he will take a step back from "listed companies" altogether, and instead serve as an advisor.

Juve great Nedved, who served as vice-president, said: "Every day I was able to learn something, I had the opportunity to make my contribution, I became vice-president, a job made up of relationships, speeches, words, but also of passion.

"Thanks to you [Agnelli]... we have discussed and argued, but we have strengthened our relationship. I know how much you love Juventus, how much you sacrificed yourself, and it was an honour to work alongside you."

Chelsea may not be finished with their January signings, reportedly joining Tottenham in the pursuit of Brighton and Hove Albion winger Leandro Trossard.

Trossard, 28, is in his fourth season with the Seagulls, and after never scoring more than eight Premier League goals in each of his previous three campaigns, he is on pace to set a new personal-best with seven in his first 16 appearances.

His exploits this season have included a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw against Liverpool, as well as goals against Manchester City and Chelsea, but he recently butted heads with head coach Roberto De Zerbi and has been left out of Brighton's last two matchday squads.

The Belgium international with 24 senior caps has also had his agent announce his intention to leave the club this month, triggering plenty of interest from fellow Premier League sides.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA WANT TROSSARD TO RECREATE MAGIC WITH POTTER

According to The Mirror, Chelsea are understood to now be a main player along with Tottenham and also Arsenal as the three clubs compete for Trossard's services.

Trossard had only six months remaining on his contract on the south coast, before Brighton reportedly activated a 12-month extension to ensure he would not be able to leave the club on a free transfer.

It is believed Chelsea have the most spending power of the trio, even after their £88.5million purchase of Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk, and Trossard remains a favourite of his former boss Graham Potter.

His asking price has been set at £25m, while the report adds any potential deal for fellow Brighton talent 21-year-old Moises Caicedo – also of interest to Chelsea as well as Liverpool – would cost "more than double" that £25m figure.

ROUND-UP

– The Mirror is reporting West Ham would like to bring in 29-year-old Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire on loan.

– According to Sky Sports, Arsenal have enquired about 23-year-old Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby, but have been told he will not be available this month and will cost €100m (£88.5m) at the end of the season.

– Barcelona are hoping to secure 32-year-old Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer at the end of the season, per the Telegraph.

– Fichajes is reporting Arsenal will attempt to sign Chelsea's Raheem Sterling after failing to land the 28-year-old England international prior to his move to Stamford Bridge last year.

– According to The Independent, Real Madrid and Juventus are monitoring United 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho after he rejected the club's most recent contract extension.

Arsenal have reportedly made an effort to assess the availability of Barcelona forwards Ferran Torres and Raphinha.

Raphinha arrived at the club in July in a €55million move from Leeds United, but he has struggled to break into Xavi's best side, making only seven starts in his 15 appearances.

Torres is in a similar situation after Barcelona signed him from Manchester City for €55m just over 12 months ago, making six starts from his 16 LaLiga outings this season.

With Arsenal's pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk getting hijacked by Chelsea, the duo are now being considered as alternatives, but the asking price may not be much lower.

TOP STORY – ARSENAL TURN TO BARCELONA AFTER MUDRYK DISAPPOINTMENT

According to 90min, Arsenal director Edu reached out to Barcelona and engaged in "exploratory talks" about what it would take to secure Torres or Raphinha before the end of the month.

The report also says that Arsenal have enquired about Brighton and Hove Albion duo Leandro Trossard and Kaoru Mitoma, as well as breakout Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is believed to be unavailable.

Meanwhile, Sport is reporting Barcelona have demanded €100m (£88m) as a starting point for any discussions about Raphinha, but there is no indication about what Torres could cost.

ROUND-UP

– Football Insider is reporting Chelsea will listen to offers for 28-year-old England international Raheem Sterling.

– According to Foot Mercato, West Ham have submitted a £26.5m (€30m) offer for 23-year-old Lorient striker Terem Moffi, who would prefer to move to fellow Ligue 1 side Nice, but their bid remains insufficient.

– Arsenal are interested in 18-year-old Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, per the Telegraph, while Tuttomercatoweb adds Juventus have also enquired and been informed of a €15m asking price.

– According to Fichajes, Manchester United and Arsenal are both pursuing 22-year-old Real Betis winger Luiz Henrique.

– Calciomercato is reporting Arsenal are preparing a £71m (€80m) bid for 22-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Luciano Spalletti hailed Victor Osimhen for his performance in Napoli's 5-1 thrashing of Juventus and says he is "amazed" by what the striker still has to offer.

Osimhen opened the scoring for Napoli in Friday's top-of-the-table Serie A clash with a close-range finish, ending Juve's run of 770 minutes without conceding in the league.

The 24-year-old then assisted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, before doubling his strike tally in the second half in between goals from Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas.

He is only the third player to score and assist in the first half against Juve over the past 15 seasons, after Cagliari's Luca Gagliano and Roma's Diego Perotti (both in 2020).

But while now boasting 13 goals and three assists in 17 appearances this season, Spalletti believes there is more to come from the Nigeria international.

"I am amazed by the potential Osimhen hasn't put into practice yet," Spalletti told DAZN. "He is devastating on long balls, can stand strong physically and has courage too.

"He's had his face cut two or three times because he never backs down. He almost always takes risks but he's a player who has potential and room for improvement."

Napoli have now scored 64 goals in 24 matches this season, making them the fourth-highest scoring team across Europe's top five leagues in all competitions.

More important than that is the 10-point margin Napoli now have on Juventus and Milan at the Serie A summit, though the latter have a game in hand at Lecce on Saturday.

The Partenopei are heavy favourites to win their first Scudetto since the 1989-90 season, even if Spalletti has suggested otherwise, after sending out another message.

"The only message is to ourselves," Spalletti said. "Juventus are a colossus and that run of results they were on allowed them to go into this match in second place.

"What we said before kick-off was that we didn't want to end the game with remorse or being hesitant. Instead, we attacked in an open way and took control of the match."

Angel Di Maria had levelled up before half-time for Juve, who entered the game on an eight-match winning run in the league without conceding a single goal.

Despite Napoli stretching their lead at the top, Juventus defender Danilo is not giving up hope of catching Spalletti's side in the second half of the season.

"The Scudetto will be decided in June," he said. "We will think only match-to-match; only in this way can we get higher in the standings. Then we will see what happens.

"Juve must always aim for the Scudetto. We must understand that from tomorrow our thinking must change. As a club we know we have to leave everything on the pitch."

Massimiliano Allegri has told his Juventus players not to let their heads drop after being thumped 5-1 by Napoli as there is still plenty to play for this season.

Juve missed the chance to close the gap on Napoli at the top of Serie A, instead slipping 10 points behind the leaders with their heavy loss at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The Bianconeri entered Friday's contest on an eight-match winning run without conceding, but they shipped five times in a league match for the first time in close to 30 years.

Allegri has no complaints with the scoreline and is now looking for a quick response when Juve face Monza in the Coppa Italia last 16 next Thursday.

"There are some defeats that are deserved and some that are undeserved. This time it was deserved," Allegri told DAZN.

"We had the strength to try to turn it around, but it didn't turn out like that. We can't let our heads drop because there's a long road ahead.

"We must congratulate Napoli. We were low on energy and were too deep for the first 20 minutes. We had good chances but every time they had a shot they could've scored.

"It is now about getting back on our feet, recovering energy and starting work again. The championship race is long so we must look forward."

Juve's run of 770 minutes without conceding in Serie A – their fifth-longest streak – was ended by Victor Osimhen early on before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia added a second.

Angel Di Maria pulled one back for Juventus before half-time, but Amir Rrahmani restored Napoli's two-goal cushion and Osimhen's second put the game out of reach.

Substitute Elif Elmas then added a fifth for Napoli, who made it four home league wins in a row against Juve for just the second time in their history.

Asked why his side crumbled so badly in the second half in Naples, Allegri said: "You don't always have to find justification.

"These goals we conceded, that wouldn't have happened had we had more energy. After the third goal, the world falls in on you.

"Osimhen had an extraordinary match and Napoli are showing they are the strongest team. Maybe in two months things will change. What is valid today is not valid tomorrow."

Napoli ended Juventus' eight-match winning run without conceding in Serie A with an emphatic 5-1 victory in Friday's top-of-the-table clash to move 10 points clear at the summit.

Juve had gone on a remarkable run of form since losing to Milan in early October, but their defence was finally breached by Victor Osimhen with 14 minutes played.

Osimhen turned provider by playing in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for Napoli's second at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, but Angel Di Maria pulled one back before half-time.

However, Luciano Spalletti's side pulled clear through another goal from Osimhen, either side of strikes from Amir Rrahmani and Elif Elmas, to put one hand on the Scudetto.

Napoli edged in front when Wojciech Szczesny palmed Kvaratskhelia's acrobatic attempt into the path of Osimhen for a simple finish from close range.

Di Maria sent a dipping effort against the crossbar, but Kvaratskhelia doubled Napoli's lead with a composed finish after Bremer's error allowed Osimhen to play his team-mate in.

Juve gave themselves a lifeline through Di Maria's low finish past Szczesny after exchanging passes with Arkadiusz Milik, though Napoli should have cut out the danger.

Meret did brilliantly to prevent Rrahmani putting into his own net and that proved an even bigger save when the same player fired in on the half-volley from a corner.

The hosts were out of sight with 65 minutes gone as, after more sloppy play from Bremer, Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen again linked up for the latter to header across Szczesny.

Elmas, brought on at half-time for the injured Matteo Politano, added a fifth for Napoli with a shot that deflected in off Alex Sandro to round off a five-star showing.