Ronaldo seals Italian Super Cup for Juventus

Juventus won the Italian Super Cup with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s second half header at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The win makes Juventus the most successful club in the competition with eight triumphs, surpassing Milan’s seven.

Despite the many controversies trailing the decision to play this year’s edition in Saudi Arabia, over 60,000 spectators were present to see the five-time Balon D’Or winner, Ronaldo, hang in the air to bury the match-winning header beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Max Allegri’s Juventus dominated the match and could have taken the lead through Douglas Costa, but the Brazillian winger’s curler just missed the far post.

Blaise Matudi thought he had given Juventus the lead when he poked home from six yards out but was in an offside position before he latched on to the ball.

Juventus further threatened through Ronaldo but the Portuguese forward’s scissors kick bounced off the turf and just off the top corner as the first half ended goalless.

Gennaro Gatuso’s team came closest to taking the lead early in the second half when Patrick Cutrone’s rising shot from inside the area agonizingly struck the crossbar, and Juve repaid the gesture with the winning goal on 61 minutes.

Juventus’ Bosnian playmaker, Miralem Pjanic, was given time and space to pick out Ronaldo, who evaded his marker and beat the offside trap to meet the midfielder’s lofted cross with a glancing header.

Milan had Franck Kessie sent off on 73 minutes, and the introduction of wantaway striker, Gonzalo Higuain, did not make a difference as the Old Lady of Turin saw out the win.

Juventus’ latest triumph means the defending Serie A champions have won their first trophy of the Italian season, and Ronaldo celebrates the first trophy of his Italian adventure following his $98 million summer move from Real Madrid.