Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo warms up prior to the Champions League Group G soccer match between Juventus and Ferencvaros, at the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, on Nov 24, 2020. (MARCO ALPOZZI / LAPRESSE VIA AP)

BENEVENTO - Juventus need to be less dependent on Cristiano Ronaldo, coach Andrea Pirlo said on Saturday after they again failed to win a league game without their talismanic 35-year-old.

“It does not seem to me that the other teams where Ronaldo played were not also dependent on him,” said Pirlo following the 1-1 draw away to Benevento.

He is a catalyst of attacking moves, of goals and it is natural that when a player is as strong as he is, the team’s development is based on him. But sometimes, it happens that he is not there and we have to improve in these matches.

Andrea Pirlo, Juventus' coach

“He is a catalyst of attacking moves, of goals and it is natural that when a player is as strong as he is, the team’s development is based on him.

“But sometimes, it happens that he is not there and we have to improve in these matches.”

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Ronaldo, who was rested for Saturday’s match, has missed two other Serie A games this season and they also ended 1-1, away to Crotone - another promoted side - and Verona.

Alvaro Morata gave Juventus a 21st-minute lead but was sent off as tempers flared at the end of a niggly second half. Gaetano Letizia rifled in Benevento’s equalizer in first-half stoppage time.

“This is not the first goal we have conceded at the end of a half,” he said. “We have to improve and understand that the games are not all the same and that the moments are not all the same, and have to be dealt with differently.

“When games get chaotic and messy, we have to play clean, good football and take control of the match. Otherwise we struggle, as we did today.”

Juventus' Spanish forward Alvaro Morata (right) celebrates after scoring during the Italian Serie A soccer ball match between Benevento and Juventus at the Ciro-Vigorito stadium in Benevento, near Naples, Italy, on Nov 28, 2020. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI / AFP)

Benevento coach Filippo Inzaghi, on the other hand, was delighted as his team picked up a first-ever Serie A point against Juventus at the third attempt.

“If we had made better use of a few counter-attacks, we could even have won it,” he said. “To get a result with Juve, everything has to go well for you, but the team did really well.”

Juve’s performance raised more questions about the team’s dependence on 35-year-old Ronaldo who is their leading scorer in Serie A with eight goals despite having played only five matches.

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Although they are still unbeaten in Serie A, Juve have yet to win a league game this season without Ronaldo and their performances have been laboured.

The Turin side are fifth with 17 points, three behind leaders AC Milan who are at home to Fiorentina on Sunday. Benevento are in midtable with 10 points.