Cristiano Ronaldo leaps above the Sampdoria defence to score Juventus' second goal.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been compared to an NBA player after​ showing incredible athleticism to score an iconic headed goal for Juventus.

Juventus moved three points clear at the top of Serie A with a 2-1 win over Sampdoria on Thursday (NZT), Ronaldo producing a remarkable leap and a towering header to score the match-winner moments before halftime.

Ronaldo was calculated to have jumped 71 centimetres off the ground to meet the cross at a height of 2.56m.

The play left Sampdoria coach Claudio Ranieri stunned.

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"Ronaldo did something that you see in the NBA, he was up in the air for an hour and a half," Ranieri said. ​

"There's nothing you can say about it, you can only congratulate him and move on."