Lazio shock Juventus, Ronaldo to Win Italian Super Cup
Lazio beat Juventus 3-1, their second win over the Turin giants in little more than two weeks, to win the Italian Super Cup on Sunday, the annual meeting between the Coppa Italia winners and Serie A champions.
Second-half goals from Senad Lulic and Danilo Cataldi won the match which was being played in Saudi Arabia for the second year running.
Ooohhhhh what a strike 😍
Lazio seal a #SupercoppaItaliana win with a SENSATIONAL free-kick deep into stoppage time!
Inch perfect! Danilo Cataldi take a bow 🙌 pic.twitter.com/I5WiEUnp1w
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 22, 2019
Lazio also beat Juventus 3-1 in Serie A on December 7, handing their opponents their first defeat under coach Maurizio Sarri.
Lazio, the Coppa Italia victors, went ahead after 17 minutes when Sergei Milinkovic-Savic laid the ball off for Luis Alberto to fire into the net.
That sparked a fight inside the Italian champions as they remained determined not to see a repeat of the 2017 Super Cup final, when they were beaten by Lazio.
🙌 Luis Alberto for Lazio this season…
– Games: 21
– Goals: 4
– Assists: 13#SuperCoppaItaliana pic.twitter.com/EcyEMipLDy
— The Sportsman Bet (@TheSportsmanBet) December 22, 2019
That fight proved to be inspired when Paulo Dybala levelled for the Serie A champions at the end of the first-half from a rebound after Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot was parried by Thomas Strakosha.
VAR had a look to check whether there was an offside in the build-up to the goal but there was no infringement and the strike stood.
2 – Senad #Lulic is one of the 2 history Lazio's player able to score a goal in the Coppa Italia final and in the Italian Super Cup final (the other was Pavel Nedved). Icon. #JuveLazio
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) December 22, 2019
Juventus seemed to be in control in the second half and Ronaldo was close to putting his side ahead with a shot which went just over.
But the Old Lady was soon caught out when Marco Parolo’s cross flew across the face of goal and Lulic volleyed in at the far post in the 73rd minute.
It was an avoidable goal to go behind to from a Juventus perspective but as it was a few weeks ago in Serie A, it was no more than they deserved.
What a hit! 😍
Lazio captain Senad Lulic picked a great time for his first goal of the season!
He's put his side ahead against Juventus late on! #SupercoppaItaliana pic.twitter.com/hcB6vTL7jY
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 22, 2019
Read Also: Ronaldo makes history as Juventus go top
Juventus had midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur sent off in stoppage time and Cataldi curled the resulting free-kick into the net with the last action of the game.
The Italian Super Cup final is often played abroad and has also been hosted in China, the United States, Libya and Qatar.