Inter Milan beat Napoli to win the Italian Super Cup after both teams paid tribute to Italy’s all-time top scorer Gigi Riva.

Lautaro Martinez scored the winner in injury time as Inter wrapped up a third straight Super Cup success.

But the match, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between current Serie A champions Napoli and Coppa Italia holders Inter, was overshadowed by Riva’s death, aged 79.

A minute’s applause was held before the second half after the news filtered through during the first half.

Riva scored 35 goals in 42 appearances for Italy and was a member of the squad which won the 1968 European Championship and lost in the 1970 World Cup final to Brazil.

He was also a prolific goalscorer for Cagliari, leading the Sardinian club to their only Serie A title in 1970.

It appeared that no one was going to find a goal to settle the match, until Martinez finally broke the deadlock two minutes into added time.

Inter dominated the first half and created the first chance when a long Matteo Darmian throw-in found its way through to Federico Dimarco, whose volley was deflected inches wide.

Martinez then headed wide from Francesco Acerbi’s cross and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired over 20 yards out.

Martinez had the ball in the net after 40 minutes when he tapped in Marcus Thuram’s cross but an offside flag curtailed any celebrations.

Napoli’s first real opening came six minutes into the second half when Stanislav Lobotka fed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Georgian cut back inside and tried to curl the ball towards the far post but his effort was beaten away by Inter keeper Yann Sommer.

Napoli were reduced to 10 men on the hour after Giovanni Simeone was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Acerbi.

Inter set about trying to press home their numerical advantage but Thuram twice missed his kick in front of goal and Martinez volleyed over the crossbar.

Frustrated Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri was shown a yellow card before Mkhitaryan tried his luck again, only to send his shot too high.

The match looked destined for penalties until Alexis Sanchez fed Benjamin Pavard down the right.

Pavard pinged in a low cross which was swept home by Martinez to wrap up a super treble for Inter.

Simone Inzaghi has challenged his Inter Milan players to lift the Supercoppa Italiana for a third straight season as they take on the new format for the first time.

The competition has been expanded to four teams, with the runners-up from both Serie A and the Coppa Italia added to the mix.

With all games being played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Coppa Italia holders Inter will face Serie A runners-up Lazio on Friday, with the winner advancing to play either league champions Napoli or cup runners-up Fiorentina.

“The Supercoppa is the first objective of the season,” Inzaghi said. “Inter won it in the last two years and we want to win it again. We’ll do our best.

“We have another training session and I need to make careful assessments (on the squad). Everyone was available yesterday, except (Juan) Cuadrado. I have to make decisions, being a final played over two legs.

“Now, I am only thinking about the Lazio game. I am serene, Inter have the same ambitions as Lazio, Napoli and Fiorentina. Tomorrow, we meet an undefeated team in the last five, and it has always caused trouble for us.”

Lautaro Martinez scored a brace in Inter’s 5-1 Serie A win over Monza last weekend, moving to 20 goals in all competitions for the season.

But while the Argentinian has been in sparkling form, Inter have been linked with a striker in the January window – something Inzaghi would not be drawn on.

“We have a club behind us that is thinking about it,” he said. “I am satisfied with my four strikers in the first part of the season, they are giving us great satisfaction.”

Leading the line for Lazio will be veteran forward Ciro Immobile. The 33-year-old was linked with making Saudi Arabia his permanent home last summer, but asked on Thursday if he would still be interested in joining the Saudi Pro League, he said he was fully focused on Lazio.

“(Saudi Arabia) is developing as a league, infrastructures are improving compared to 2019,” Immobile said.

“Now, everyone has their eyes set on Saudi Arabia and believes there will be an important league here in the future. I spoke to local clubs in the past, but nothing happened in the end. I’ve always tried to be as transparent as possible and I decided to stay at Lazio and carry the project forward.”

Immobile was a late substitute in Lazio’s 1-0 win over Lecce as he comes back from injury.

“We feel the weight of the game,” he added. “It’s a trophy with two finals that are played within three days. There is little time to prepare for all matches. We are proud and happy with what we did last season and want to enjoy this moment.

“I was sidelined for three weeks, but playing 15 minutes against Lecce was important. I’ve had the chance to train and work to return to the top. We only lacked consistency, but the team has always worked well. Sometimes things didn’t work, but we’ve been improving.”

Napoli boss Walter Mazzarri hopes his side can keep building their confidence in Thursday’s SuperCoppa semi-final.

His side go up against Fiorentina in Saudi Arabia, where the winner will face either Inter Milan or Lazio on Monday.

Napoli have endured a mixed run of form recently and had lost four of their previous six matches before beating struggling Salernitana in Serie A on Saturday, lifting them to eighth in the league.

Amir Rrahmani struck in stoppage time to snatch a win that Mazzarri hopes has given his side positivity going forward.

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“Our sole focus is the Super Cup right now. The message I’m looking to give to the team is to give their all in our upcoming game,” he told a pre-match press conference.

“I’m happy with Saturday’s win because it’s given the lads confidence and peace of mind. We need to keep this up in order to fully recover the belief that we’d lost in recent times.”

Mazzarri will make a late call on Jens Cajuste and Piotr Zielinski for the semi-final, while Diego Demme is unlikely to feature due to a strain.

In October, Napoli were beaten 3-1 by Fiorentina in the league under former manager Rudi Garcia and striker Giovanni Simeone knows what challenges the team can present.

He said: “We’re really motivated for this game. We’re Serie A title holders and we’re keen to give our all.

“We’re not the favourites – the tie is very much open. However, we’ll go out there with a lot of positive energy.

“Fiorentina play good football and have often caused us issues. We’ll need to try to deny them of possession. We’ll need to put in a top performance, showing mental fortitude, belief and focus.”

Fiorentina have had a great season so far, sitting fourth in Serie A and having reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a penalty shoot-out win against Bologna earlier this month.

They were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw against Udinese on Sunday in the league, but manager Vincenzo Italiano is hopeful his side can give Napoli a “tough time”.

“We all have one aim: win the semi-final and reach the final to fight for the trophy,” he said.

“Napoli are a strong side, they are Italian champions and have quality players. I’m hoping to have prepared the game in the best possible way to give them a tough time.”

Hakan Calhanoglu relished Inter's Supercoppa Italiana win over Milan more than most, saying karma came back to bite the Rossoneri.

The former Milan player, who switched allegiance to Inter on a free transfer in 2021, faced mockery from a number of former team-mates when Stefano Pioli's team won last season's Serie A title.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was among those who invited scorn to be poured during Milan's celebrations, but Inter's 3-0 victory on Wednesday not only gave them the first silverware of the Italian season, it also gave Calhanoglu a chance to hit back.

"It was a very important victory, even more so for me. I'm very happy. We were hungry, we showed what we are worth on the pitch," Turkish midfielder Calhanoglu said.

"I always prefer to shut up, it was tough for me to see things I didn't expect. Karma comes back, and today we were hungry."

Speaking to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset, Calhanoglu said: "They have to respect the 3-0, we sent them home quickly. We ate them up."

On the prospect of a push for the Scudetto, Calhanoglu added: "We will believe it until the end. Let's continue like this."

Napoli have made a runaway start to the season, opening up a nine-point lead over second-placed Milan after 18 rounds of games, with Inter a further point back.

The Supercoppa win on Wednesday over Milan came at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, with Inter's goals coming from Federico Dimarco, Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez.

The next meeting between the city rivals comes in Serie A on February 5, with Inter the home side as they face Milan at the San Siro stadium the clubs share.

Milan can have no excuses for their heavy Supercoppa Italiana loss to Inter and must now "grow up and take responsibility", according to defender Simon Kjaer.

Stefano Pioli's side were on the end of a 3-0 loss at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Wednesday as fierce rivals Inter retained the cup.

It is the first time since Juventus' 4-0 win over Lazio in 2013 that the contest between the reigning Scudetto and Coppa Italia holders has been won by a three-or-more goal margin.

The Rossoneri were also eliminated from the Coppa Italia at the last-16 stage by Torino last week and are nine points behind leaders Napoli in Serie A after drawing their past two games.

After ending the club's 11-year wait for Scudetto glory last year with a team that had the youngest average age of any title winner across Europe's top five leagues, Kjaer accepts there is no explanation for their current form.

"We got off to a bad start, then it became difficult," Kjaer, who was recalled to the starting line-up, told Milan TV. "They are good at what they do, but tonight we didn't put in the performance to deserve the win.

"We have to apologise to the fans. We have to analyse this match and then start again. There is no time to put our heads down but this match hurts. 

"The talk of young players lacking experience is over. We have to grow up and take responsibility. We have not played with our identity and we have to learn and look carefully at our mistakes. 

"It was a tough evening, especially mentally, but in these moments we have to find our identity and we have to improve in many aspects of the game."

Inter became the first side since Roma in 2006 to score twice in the opening 25 minutes of a Supercoppa Italiana clash, with goals from Federico Dimarco and Edin Dzeko putting them in control.

Milan's defence was far too easily beaten for both goals, as was the case when Lautaro Martinez added a third in the second half after getting the better of Fikayo Tomori.

Now on their longest winless run since February 2021, Pioli admits something has to change in terms of the team dynamic.

"We've missed out on one trophy but there is still lots of the season to turn it into a positive one," he said at his post-match press conference.

"But if we want different results, a little bit needs changing from a mental point of view and the way we approach matches. We play Lazio next and can go back to playing our football.

"The aim is to get back to being a team with confidence. We need to think about raising the quality of our game."

Edin Dzeko joked he feels like a 21-year-old again after playing a starring role in Inter's Supercoppa Italiana victory over Milan in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international became the competition's oldest goalscorer, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo, with his well-taken strike in Inter's 3-0 triumph.

He had earlier played in Nicolo Barella with a delightful pass for the midfielder to tee up Federico Dimarco in a display that landed him the sponsors' man of the match award.

Dzeko turns 37 in March and is due to be out of contract at San Siro at the end of the campaign, but the veteran striker is not thinking about his future for now.

"That's not for today," he told Sport Mediaset. "We're happy for the fans because we deserved this win. Today we'll celebrate and then we can think about everything else."

Asked to confirm his age after rolling back the years, Dzeko laughed and said: "I'll be 22 soon!"

Lautaro Martinez profited from some more sloppy Milan defending – with Fikayo Tomori in particular at fault – to seal an emphatic Derby della Madonnina victory in Saudi Arabia.

Inter's win was their first over their fierce rivals in a final in what was the third such meeting, with Milan previously prevailing in the 2011 Supercoppa and the 1977 Coppa Italia.

Milan pipped Inter to the Serie A title last season, but Dzeko does not consider the victory at King Fahd International Stadium as any sort of revenge.

"That isn't the case," he said. "I always prefer to look ahead, just like everyone in the team. We won a cup today, one we already knew how good it is to win.

"We prepared well for the game and went onto the pitch with the aim of winning it. We played a great game and gave everything from the first minute until the last.

"I'm delighted to bring another cup home and hopefully there will be more in the future."

Having defeated Juventus 12 months ago, Inter retained the trophy and are now level with Milan on seven Supercoppa triumphs – within two of record-holders Juve.

Simone Inzaghi is now a four-time winner of the competition as a coach – twice with Inter and twice with Lazio – which tied the record with Marcello Lippi and Fabio Capello. 

Reflecting on his latest success, Inzaghi said: "The lads had the perfect approach today, always sharp and focused. We need to enjoy this as beating Milan in a final is wonderful.

"Our first target for the season was to get through the group stage of the Champions League; the second was winning this trophy. It is pleasing for a coach to witness this."

Inter retained their Supercoppa Italiana crown with a convincing 3-0 victory over fierce rivals Milan at King Fahd International Stadium on Wednesday.

Simone Inzaghi's side have been in far better form than Milan since the World Cup break and that showed in Riyadh as they raced into a two-goal lead inside 21 minutes.

Federico Dimarco finished off a flowing team move and Edin Dzeko, who played a pivotal role in that opener, added a second to put Inter in command.

Last season's Coppa Italia winners Inter added a third in the 77th minute through Lautaro Martinez to seal a seventh Supercoppa triumph, drawing them level with Milan's tally.

Dzeko played a delightful first-time pass into the feet of Nicolo Barella, who in turn squared to Milan-born Dimarco for a simple finish for Inter's 10th-minute opener.

That goal was allowed to stand following a VAR check, with semi-automatic offside technology being used for the first time in Italian football ahead of its roll-out in Serie A.

Inter added a second through a well-taken Dzeko goal after the striker collected the ball down the left, skipped inside Sandro Tonali and swept a shot past Ciprian Tatarusanu.

Not since Roma against Inter in 2006 had a team struck twice inside the opening 25 minutes of a Supercoppa Italiana match, and Milan could not find a route back into the game.

After sitting back for most of the second half, Inter added some gloss to the scoreline when Fikayo Tomori failed to clear a long ball and Martinez finished with the outside of his boot.

Milan coach Stefano Pioli dismissed the suggestion his team are suffering from a lack of "hunger" as they prepare to face city rivals Inter in Wednesday's Supercoppa Italiana.

The Rossoneri have not won any of their previous three games as they threw away a 2-0 lead in a 2-2 draw with Roma, found themselves dumped out of the Coppa Italia by 10-man Torino, and then had to fight back from 2-0 down just to rescue a point at Lecce.

Although in that period they have moved above Juventus in the Serie A table to take ownership of second, Milan are now nine points behind leaders Napoli.

Much of the build-up to the Supercoppa has been centred around Milan and Inter – who are a point further back in Serie A – requiring a trophy success to boost their respective title chances.

But the suggestion Milan are less motivated than last year did not sit well with Pioli, who said: "How does such a young team that has only won on trophy not be hungry?

"There's only one thing we can control: the quality of our game. If we lower the quality, it becomes difficult to win games. It's not a question of having a 'full stomach'."

In fact, Pioli recognises Wednesday's game in Riyadh as an opportunity to have continuity in terms of success, with Milan hoping last season's Serie A title triumph was the start of a successful new era rather than a flash in the pan.

"It's an important match. We have the chance to win another trophy, it would mean giving continuity to the path we started," Pioli added.

"We know that the last week or so hasn't been the best, but tomorrow is a game in itself, like every other derby is.

"There is a trophy up for grabs and this raises the level of the match, and so we have to raise our level."

The idea that Supercoppa success could be a catalyst was also put to Pioli's counterpart, Simone Inzaghi.

Inter's board has reportedly made it clear to Inzaghi that they view beating Milan as a possible turning point in the season, though he is seemingly not convinced there is a link between victory in this game and subsequent improvement.

"We'll have to wait and see. I remember last year that we enjoyed the Supercoppa final win over Juventus in the right way, because a few days later we were back playing away to Bergamo," he recalled.

"Football never stops. Three days later, we were talking about a 0-0 draw in Bergamo against Atalanta.

"We need to just take one game at a time. Now we've got Milan, and we're preparing for it in the best way we can.

"The players need to work hard for their team-mates because in these types of games it's the only way you end the game without regrets."

The first trophy of the Italian football season is on the line on Wednesday when fierce rivals Inter and Milan face off for the Supercoppa Italiana at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh.

Scudetto holders Milan and last season's Coppa Italia winners Inter appear well out of the Serie A title race at the midway point this time around, trailing leaders Napoli by nine and 10 points respectively.

Inter are still in the mix for silverware elsewhere this campaign, though, as they have a Champions League last-16 tie with Porto on the horizon and are also through to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia.

As for Milan, they are also in the first knockout round of Europe's primary club competition – where Tottenham await over two legs – but they were eliminated from the Coppa Italia with a 1-0 defeat to Torino in extra time last week.

It is fair to say that Rossoneri head coach Stefano Pioli has a fair bit of money in the bank should this season end trophyless, having ended the club's 11-year wait for Scudetto success last season.

But defeat to neighbours Inter in Saudi Arabia, coupled with that big gap on Napoli, could lead to some questions being asked.

If that sounds extreme on the face of it, let us remember this is a club that got through seven managers in the seven years preceding Pioli's appointment.

Inzaghi has less goodwill to play with, and Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport reported in the build-up to the Supercoppa tie that the former striker has been told Wednesday's match must be used as a turning point in a below-par season.

The showdown between two of Italy's three most successful clubs has plenty riding on it, then, but what does recent history tell us about teams winning the Supercoppa and what it meant for the rest of their seasons? 

Inzaghi to join elite list?

The Supercoppa has now been staged midway through the season in Saudi Arabia for three of the past five years (this is the final year of the arrangement), the exceptions being in 2020 and 2021 when it was held in Italy due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since then, the reigning Serie A winners have prevailed against their opponents three times out of four. The anomaly in that sequence? A Lazio side managed by a certain Inzaghi that saw off Juventus 3-1.

Indeed, having also won the Supercoppa in 2019 and last year with Inter, Inzaghi could join legendary figures Fabio Capello and Marcelo Lippi as the most successful coaches in the competition's history.

Lazio also finished fourth in Serie A that season – the only time they have finished in the top four in the seven seasons either side – but they had entered the Supercoppa showdown with Juventus sitting one place higher.

From collecting 2.25 points per game across their 16 matches, Lazio's form dropped slightly to 1.91 per game in the final 22 games.

There are plenty of other factors to consider, of course, but the same was also true of Inter after winning this cup last season.

The Nerazzurri were top of the table on January 12 when beating Juventus 2-1 to lift their first piece of silverware under Inzaghi, averaging 2.45 points per game up until that point.

In the subsequent four months, that dipped to 1.94 points per game and they were pipped to the title by Milan, although they did at least win the Coppa Italia.

Familiar theme

Juve are another example of results dipping after winning the competition – as a direct consequence or otherwise – going from 2.79 points per game to 1.95 either side of defeating Milan in Jeddah.

However, given just how good they were in the first half of that season, they still retained top spot in Serie A.

Juventus in 2020-21 is the outlier in our sample as they improved on a return of 1.94 points per game on average to 2.14 either side of seeing off Napoli 2-0 on January 20, 2021.

The Bianconeri went from fifth to fourth and qualified for the Champions League, yet that was not enough to keep Andrea Pirlo in a job.

Effectively, then, teams tend to drop off after winning the Supercoppa, rather than using it as a platform to push on. And on more than one occasion, lifting the trophy has not been enough to keep a coach in place beyond that season.

So while Pioli and Inzaghi in particular will consider this an opportunity to potentially transform their respective sides' Serie A campaigns and reel in Napoli, the stats show that is highly unlikely to happen.

Inter players look set to be given a "prize" from club president Steven Zhang after their dramatic 2-1 Supercoppa Italiana success over Juventus, according to coach Simone Inzaghi.

The Nerazzurri lifted the first piece of silverware of the Italian season late in extra-time, with Alexis Sanchez netting the decisive goal.

Weston McKennie had previously given Juve the lead, before a Lautaro Martinez penalty tied it up.

The two teams would remain level throughout the second half and for much of the additional 30 minutes.

That was until an error from Alex Sandro allowed Matteo Darmian to nudge the ball to Sanchez, who prodded home from close range with the last kick of the game to spark joyous celebrations.

It ensured Inzaghi became the first coach to beat Juventus in three finals (since 1929-30), as he continued his 100 per cent success rate in the Supercoppa.

Inzaghi spoke briefly after the game before sending his assistant to the news conference on account of losing his voice, revealing what president Zhang had told the players afterwards.

"He [Zhang] was very happy," Inzaghi told Mediaset. "He brought the team together and complimented us.

"The boys responded, they wanted a prize and I think the president will grant it."

While Inter will hope to add more significant titles to their collection later in the season, namely the Scudetto, Zhang suggested this success – coupled with their place at the top of the Serie A table – shows their hard work is paying off.

He told Inter TV: "This is a really special moment for us; we're delighted. The team played great, we're also top of the league, and this trophy is the fruits of the labour of both the coach and the players.

"I'm really happy with the result. This trophy win in what's a difficult time in football spurs us on. All of this is down to all the hard work we've put in together over these last six years.

"I'd like to dedicate this win to all of the Inter fans around the world and everyone who works for the club. They're the ones who have carried this project forward."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri was gutted by his side's dramatic late defeat to Inter in Wednesday's Supercoppa Italiana, suggesting it was evidence of the "devil" inventing football.

Inter lifted the first piece of silverware of the Italian season thanks to a dramatic 2-1 win, secured with the final kick of the game at the end of extra time.

Weston McKennie had previously given Juve the lead, before a Lautaro Martinez penalty tied it up.

The two teams would remain level throughout the second half and for much of the additional 30 minutes.

That was until an error from Alex Sandro allowed Matteo Darmian to nudge the ball to Alexis Sanchez, who prodded home from close range to spark joyous celebrations.

It was Juve's 10th successive appearance in the Supercoppa, which pits the Serie A and Coppa Italia winners from the previous season against each other, but they were unable to claim the trophy.

While Inter's celebrations showed what the success meant to them, Allegri was philosophical yet frustrated by the last-gasp nature of the Nerazzurri's win.

"This was a real game tonight," he is quoted as saying by Sky Sport Italia. "It was a good test for us to see where we're at.

"They boys played a really good game, unfortunately football seems to have been invented by the devil, and five seconds from the end we committed an error.

"We played against the strongest team in Serie A, we had several chances and conceded few. We could have avoided the two goals and done better at the beginning, in the first 10 minutes, when they had the upper hand, but then the team played well technically.

"It is a burning defeat – losing five seconds from the end and seeing the others celebrate hurts. I have nothing to blame,

"Now, awareness and anger must enter us to continue well in the league, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.

"We have to look on the bright side: the kids are physically better and growing. Tonight did not go well, but now let's think about Serie A."

Alexis Sanchez struck a last-gasp extra-time winner as Inter defeated Juventus 2-1 to claim the Supercoppa Italiana in the most dramatic fashion.

The annual clash between the winners of the previous season's Serie A and Coppa Italia appeared to be heading for a penalty shootout at San Siro.

Lautaro Martinez's spot-kick had earlier cancelled out a Weston McKennie header for Juventus, who were making their 10th successive appearance in the Supercoppa.

However, there was to be one late twist as substitute Sanchez controlled on his chest, before sliding past Mattia Perin with 121 minutes on the clock to snatch victory for the Nerazzurri.

Kalidou Koulibaly has vowed he and Napoli will come back stronger after the disappointment of losing to Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana.

A 2-0 defeat on Wednesday meant Gennaro Gattuso lost out to former Milan team-mate Andrea Pirlo in the battle of the coaches.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata came either side of Napoli missing a penalty, with Lorenzo Insigne off target from the spot.

Koulibaly, who has been among Europe's most coveted defenders in recent seasons, says Napoli will not be broken by the disappointment of missing out on the trophy.

The Coppa Italia holders, who beat Juventus on penalties to land that accolade in June, sit third in Serie A, with only Milan and Inter ahead of them.

"A defeat gets even harder to accept on the day after. But it doesn't last long," he wrote on Instagram.

"The desire to fight for new wins is stronger."

Koulibaly attempted more passes (63) and made more clearances (six) than any other Napoli player, with the game decided on fine margins.

Napoli, a point ahead of Juventus in Serie A, are back in league action when they face Hellas Verona on Sunday.

Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo felt lifting his first silverware as a boss was "more beautiful" than his numerous playing successes.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata either side of a missed Lorenzo Insigne penalty gave Juve a 2-0 win over Napoli in Reggio Emilia on Wednesday.

Pirlo won the Champions League and World Cup in a decorated playing career but said the feeling of leading a team to a trophy is something different.

"It's a great joy," Pirlo, who replaced Maurizio Sarri at the start of the season, told Rai Sport. "Lifting the first trophy as a coach is something different, more beautiful than as a player.

"I'm at the helm of an important team, of a historic club."

That burden looked to be weighing heavily last weekend after a 2-0 defeat at rivals Inter left Serie A champions Juventus 10 points off the pace in the Scudetto race.

"The important thing was to win after the other night's knockout," Pirlo said.

"We wanted to show that we weren't the ones from San Siro. We needed a game of sacrifice."

Pirlo shared a warm embrace with his great friend and Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso before kick-off, remarking this was no time to reprise their infamous history of play fighting and practical jokes.

"Tonight just hugs because we were too focused," he added.

Cristiano Ronaldo believes Juventus' 2-0 Supercoppa Italiana victory over Napoli can bolster their confidence in the fight for the Scudetto.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in Reggio Emilia, netting the 760th goal of his incredible career - a strike that pulled him level with Josef Bican as the greatest goalscorer of all-time according to some estimates.

Substitute Alvaro Morata sealed the first silverware of Andrea Pirlo's tenure with the final kick of the game, although Juve were indebted to a penalty miss by Lorenzo Insigne and two magnificent saves from Wojciech Szczesny.

"It was a difficult match, very difficult, but we had an excellent attitude," Ronaldo told television reporters.

"Winning this cup is very important to gain confidence. We are very happy."

Wednesday's triumph saw Juve bounce back from a dispiriting 2-0 loss at Inter last weekend, a setback that left them 10 points shy of leaders Milan with a game in hand.

"We need a different attitude, we made a mistake with Inter," Ronaldo said.

"But it has passed. The important thing was to win today and it is a very important trophy because it can give us confidence for our growth in view of the next matches."

Naturally, Ronaldo is not giving up on Juventus winning their 10th consecutive Serie A title just yet.

"Milan and Inter are very strong, but the season is still long, a lot of games are left and, yes, I think we can win," he added.

"The road is very difficult but I think it is possible."