Incredible Cristiano Ronaldo-like knuckleball strike sees Udinese draw level against Napoli in Serie A clash

Udinese’s goal against Napoli was likened to Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic knuckleball strike. Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s equaliser stunned Napoli with a strike that the Portuguese legend would have been proud of, with Alex Meret unable to deal with the shot. The shot creates an unpredictable trajectory for ‘keepers, and Ekkelenkamp’s wonder goal ensured Udinese stayed in the top half of the table.

Jurgen Ekkelenkamp’s Udinese wonder goal against Napoli was likened to Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic knuckleball strike.
Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret had no chance of saving the incredible equaliser, which swerved from out to in just like the Portuguese legend’s strikes in his prime.
Scott McTominay had given the table toppers a 1-0 lead in the 37th minute with a leaping header, only for Ekkelenkamp to fire back three minutes later.

Napoli’s Pasquale Mazzocchi scrambled to avoid the ball going out and allowed Udinese to recycle their counter-attack.
When the ball fell to the Dutch midfielder there was still plenty of work to be done, but he hit a savage, swerving shot from outside the box into the far bottom corner.
“What a goal that is, out of nothing,” came the call from the TNT Sports commentary box. “What a hit.”
A knuckleball strike, made famous by Portuguese frontman Ronaldo, is when the ball is struck with a lack of spin, creating an unpredictable trajectory and erratic movement, making it difficult for goalkeepers to save.

A single point for Antonio Conte’s side means they finish the weekend four points ahead of second-place Inter Milan, who have a chance to cut the lead to one point when they play their rescheduled clash with Fiorentina on Monday.

Udinese manager Kosta Runjaic praised the individual quality of his players, including the goalscorer.
“We played with big desire, big discipline, we knew that was our only chance against a big team like Napoli at the moment. I am very happy with the performance, we suffered a lot this evening,” he said.
“When you play against teams like Napoli, you need to work as a team, but also have moments of individual quality too. I saw many of them play fantastic, including [Jaka] Bijol, [Oumar] Solet, [Florian] Thauvin, but also [Arthur] Atta and Ekkelenkamp.”