Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain inspired Juventus to beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Group D of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Higuain scored the opener at the Allianz Stadium and teed up Federico Bernardeschi to double the lead before Ronaldo added a third to help the Bianconeri reach four points after a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid last time out.

Leverkusen were more lively than a pedestrian Juventus team early on, creating a fine chance when a slick link-up between strikers Kevin Volland and Lucas Alario ended with the latter dragging an effort wide.

Juve needed to up the tempo, but the hosts were struggling to get Ronaldo involved. Instead, it was left to Higuain to make the difference.

He showed why Maurizio Sarri has so much faith in him with a brilliant solo goal on 17 minutes. The Argentinian showcased strength and technique with excellent control and a deft turn to power past his marker.

Then the No. 9 finished with the coolness typical of a striker who has been prolific at the top level for years:

It was a moment of individual brilliance, but not one capable of masking Juve's collective ineptitude during most of the opening 45 minutes. There wasn't much pace to the home side's distribution and movement, with Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic rarely picking right passes from the heart of the engine room.

Juventus also lacked flair from wide areas, with neither Ronaldo nor Bernardeschi imposing themselves. Higuain needed runners from the middle to offer him support, but Sarri's selection choices meant there was an imbalance in central areas:

Ronaldo got involved early after the restart, drawing a save from Lukas Hradecky after being teed up by Juan Cuadrado. The chance didn't yield a goal, but it was obvious Juve were upping the tempo and taking more direct routes to goal. 

Slick work between Ronaldo and Higuain saw the latter return the ball to the former. In a rare occurrence, Ronaldo missed his kick, but Bernardeschi pounced to double the hosts' advantage.

The combination between Higuain and Ronaldo was bearing fruit, with goalscorer again playing the role of provider. However, Hradecky was refusing to let Ronaldo find the finishing touch.

Leverkusen still carried a threat at the other end, and substitute Paulinho lifted lob inches over the top with Wojciech Szczesny stranded in the Juve goal.

Sarri had changed the Juventus shape by bringing Szczesny's former Arsenal team-mate Aaron Ramsey off the bench for Bernardeschi to let the hosts settle into a 4-3-1-2 setup. It stayed the same even after Higuain made way for Paulo Dybala.

The latter was on the pitch long enough to send Ronaldo clear, allowing the 34-year-old to maintain a phenomenal run in this competition:

Juve signed Ronaldo to end a drought in this tournament dating back to 1996. There's better talent around him now thanks to Ramsey's arrival and Higuain's revival on Sarri's watch, giving the team a real chance to find success.

What's Next?

Juve travel to the San Siro for a top-of-the-table clash with Inter Milan in Serie A on Sunday. Meanwhile, Leverkusen host RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Saturday.