Maurizio Sarri on Cristiano Ronaldo Header vs. Sampdoria: 'F--k, Wow'

Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri has expressed his awe of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo after his stunning header in the win over Sampdoria in Serie A on Wednesday.

The Portuguese netted the winner in a 2-1 triumph for the Bianconeri. The goal saw Ronaldo peel away at the back post before producing a remarkable leap and header, giving his side the lead before the interval.

Afterwards, Sarri was asked for his thoughts on the goal, noting both Ronaldo's header and Paulo Dybala's strike left him mesmerised, per Dejan Kalinic of Goal:

"When Ronaldo scored I thought the same as the Dybala one—'f--k, wow.' But wow does not describe it all. They both scored two outstanding goals.

"[Dybala] chose a left-footed volley in a situation where 99 players out of 100 would stop the ball and then shoot. The [Ronaldo] one, I think the amount of time he spent in the air before the header was incredibly long – a wonderful, physical and technical action."

Premier Sports shared footage of the goal, as Ronaldo leapt to meet Alex Sandro's pinpoint cross:

Juventus shared the following sequence, illustrating the athleticism of Ronaldo before he scored:

B/R Football provided further details on just how high Ronaldo got off the ground to get his head on the ball:

Ronaldo's ability in the air has always been a key part of his game. The 34-year-old represents a triple threat for opposition defenders, as he can win aerial battles as well as score with both his right and left foot.

As ESPN FC relayed, this is not the first time Ronaldo has soared above defenders to grab a goal for his side:

This season has been a mixed one for Ronaldo, as the Portugal forward has struggled with injury issues and has not been at his potent best in front of goal.

Under Sarri, the former Real Madrid man has been used in different positions and has had to adapt his game. However, the goal he scored on Wednesday is a reminder that Ronaldo is at his most threatening when he's in the penalty area.

Per OptaJean, when it comes to attacking crosses, Ronaldo has been a consistent menace to defenders over the last decade:

Sarri will hope the confidence Ronaldo accrued from this goal will enable him to kick on when Juventus resume their competitive calendar in 2020. Juve have a three-point lead at the top of the table, although Inter can move level with them if they can beat Genoa on Saturday.

Ronaldo has 10 goals in 14 top-flight outings this term. Juventus will want to see him improve that ratio in the months to come, when the team will face some huge challenges in pursuit of Serie A and Champions League glory.