{"id":5117,"date":"2019-01-17T16:20:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-17T21:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=5117"},"modified":"2019-01-17T10:22:49","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T15:22:49","slug":"ronaldo-scores-the-winner-for-juve-in-the-supercoppa-italiana","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=5117","title":{"rendered":"Ronaldo Scores The Winner for Juve in the Supercoppa Italiana"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s goal secured the Italian Super Cup for Juventus after a 1-0 win over 10-man AC Milan.<\/p>\n

The Portugal international struck with a second-half header as Juventus, runners-up in the previous two seasons, got their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2015.<\/p>\n

It was also a first piece of silverware for Ronaldo since he swapped Real Madrid for Turin last summer.<\/p>\n

Juve bossed the first half and Douglas Costa fired a shot across goal and narrowly wide before Joao Cancelo drove just the wrong side of the far post.<\/p>\n

Blaise Matuidi had the ball in the net just after the half-hour mark but he had strayed offside as he received a pass 10 yards out.<\/p>\n

Ronaldo\u2019s first opportunity arrived three minutes before the interval, his attempted scissor kick crashing into the turf before bouncing over the crossbar.<\/p>\n

But Juve were almost caught out on the stroke of half-time when Hakan Calhanoglu\u2019s snap-shot forced a smart save from Wojciech Szczesny.<\/p>\n

Shortly after the break Milan\u2019s Patrick Cutrone\u2019s fierce shot beat Szczesny but crashed back off the crossbar.<\/p>\n

But on the hour Ronaldo struck, ghosting beyond the Milan backline and glancing Miralem Pjanic\u2019s ball over the top past Gianluigi Donnarumma.<\/p>\n

Paulo Dybala thought he had scored a spectacular second after a series of one-twos with Matuidi sliced open the Milan defense but once again an offside flag cut the celebrations short.<\/p>\n

Gonzalo Higuain, heavily linked with a move to Chelsea this month, came on as a substitute for Milan but their task got harder in the 73rd minute when Franck Kessie was sent off for a nasty foul on Emre Can.<\/p>\n

Milan felt they should have had a late penalty when Can caught Andrea Conti in the area but their appeals fell on deaf ears as Juve held on.<\/p>\n

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