mobanmarketRiyadh: Lazio beat Juventus 3-1 on Sunday to win the Italian Super Cup for a fifth time in Saudi Arabia.
###
Senad Lulic scored in the 73rd minute for Lazio after Juve’s Paulo Dybala had cancelled out Luis Alberto’s opener at Riyadh’s King Saud University Stadium.
###
Danilo Cataldi sealed the result in stoppage time with a free-kick. That was conceded by Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who was shown a second yellow card and sent off.
###
It was the second time in three years that Lazio had beaten Juventus in the Super Cup. The capital side had also won 3-1 when the two clubs met in Serie A two weeks ago in what was Maurizio Sarri’s only previous defeat as Juventus coach.
###
“I am super happy,” Cataldi said. “I heard so many people say how difficult it would be to beat Juve twice in one season, let alone in a couple of weeks, but instead we lifted a trophy and beat one of the three best teams in Europe.
###
“Now we can rest a little bit and then get going again right to the max … We’re bringing the cup home, and we’ll have a right party on the plane!”
###
Juventus can content themselves with heading into the winter break joint top of Serie A with Inter Milan, six points above Lazio — who have a game in hand. The Bianconeri are also in the last 16 of the Champions League.
###
“We came into this game with a deficit of physical and mental energy, this happens,” Sarri said. “We are sorry we lost a trophy, but we still have many competitions at stake in the next five months. There is anger but crying over it does not solve the problems.”
###
Lazio took the lead in the 16th minute when Lulic crossed for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic at the back post, and he cut it back for Luis Alberto to fire into the roof of the net.
###
Sarri had again started with the superstar trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain and the first two combined for the equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
###
Dybala turned in the rebound from close range after Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha could only parry Ronaldo’s effort.
###
But Lazio captain Lulic helped to win the match with a splendid volley at the back post after Marco Parolo had nodded on Manuel Lazzari’s cross.
###
The Morning and Evening Brief###
The Morning and Evening Brief