Manchester United have been warned not to fall into the same Cristiano Ronaldo trap as Juventus.
The 36-year-old completed a sensational return to Old Trafford on deadline day and has already scored four goals during his second spell at the Premier League giants.
Ronaldo spent three years in Serie A before touching down in the UK with United once again.
During that time, the Portuguese superstar won two Scudettos and the Coppa Italia - scoring 101 times across 134 appearances in all competitions.
Despite that eye-catching return, the Old Lady started to lean too heavily on Ronaldo and it came at a cost.
That's according to former Juventus teammate, Leonardo Bonucci, who pinpointed why that dream combination didn't manage to conjure up Champions League success.
Ronaldo is set to make his first Old Trafford appearance in that competition since leaving for Real Madrid - in 2009 - against Villareal tonight (8pm).
Speaking to The Athletic, his former teammate Bonucci said: "This was the thing. The idea that one player, even the best in the world, could guarantee Juventus victory.
"Cristiano's presence had a big influence on us. Just training with him gave us something extra but, subconsciously, players started to think his presence alone was enough to win games.
"We began to fall a little short in our daily work, the humility, the sacrifice, the desire to be there for teammates day after day. Over the last few years, I think you could see that."
Bonucci added: "Last season, we finished fourth and won the Coppa Italia because we became a team again. If you had thrown a piece of wood in the dressing room before those games then it would have caught fire, such was the electricity running through it.
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"We missed that. Maybe it was taken for granted that if we gave the ball to Cristiano, he'd win us the game.
"Cristiano needed the team as much as we needed him. There had to be a trade-off - because it's the team that lifts the individual, even if the individual is the best player on the planet."
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