Juventus moved back to the top of the Serie A table after a 2-1 win over Sampdoria on Wednesday evening at the Stadio Ferraris.
Midweek matches seem to suit the Bianconeri who are now unbeaten in their last 14 played on Wednesday, and they have Cristiano Ronaldo to thank as he bagged the winner.
Paulo Dybala put Juventus ahead with a delightful volley, before Gianluca Caprari equalised for the home side, but the Portuguese superstar channeled his inner Michael Jordan to head his team back in front.
Caprari also managed to get himself sent off after collecting a second yellow card late in the game.
That means Juve are now three points above Inter in the Serie A standings, though the Nerazzurri don’t play until Saturday.
Sampdoria had an early penalty claim when Merih Demiral went shoulder-to-shoulder with Caprari on the edge of the box, but referee Gianluca Rocchi correctly ruled play on.
A Jeison Murillo cross found Gaston Ramirez who headed just over Gianluigi Buffon’s crossbar as Sampdoria applied the early pressure.
But moments later Dybala put Juventus ahead. A delightful cross-field ball from Alex Sandro found the No.10 on the right side of the penalty area and he volleyed into the far bottom corner.
Just after the half hour Sampdoria got themselves level. A seemingly innocuous ball was poked away by Alex Sandro but it was too weak and went into the path of Caprari who blasted past Buffon from 12 yards.
Then in time added on at the end of the first half, Ronaldo leapt above Alex Ferrari, and in slow motion, hanging in the air, to head an Alex Sandro cross past Emil Audero to put Juventus back in front.
After the break, Morten Thorsby blasted into the side netting, while at the other end Blaise Matuidi should have put Juventus further ahead as unmarked he headed a Dybala cross way off target.
Neither side could fashion any other clear cut chances as the second half became every more scrappy, until Ronaldo had the ball in the back of the net once more, but it was ruled out for offside.
Caprari’s evening then turned red as he was given his marking orders after getting his second yellow of the game for a foul on Demiral.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com