Not that they can start anytime soon, but celebrations are in store for Juventus this summer. In their bid to win the first ever treble in their history, they lifted their second piece of silverware at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night. Victory over Lazio, courtesy of first-half goals from Dani Alves and Leonardo Bonucci, was the Bianconeri’s third successive Coppa Italia win.
Here are five talking points from the action.
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#1 Alex Sandro may be the world’s best full-back
When Juventus meet Real Madrid in the Champions League final two weeks on Saturday, a number of scores will be settled. One may well be the title of the best fullback on the planet, with Brazilians Alex Sandro and Marcelo facing off. The Juve man, signed from FC Porto in 2015, has burst onto the elite scene this season, playing a vital role in the Old Lady’s hunt for that inaugural treble.
He helped them dispatch Lazio with another stunning performance, setting up both goals. His first assist, for his fellow countryman on the other flank Dani Alves, was an exquisitely timed lofted pass which landed at the feet of the ex-Barcelona man, who’s scuffed volley was enough to grab the lead.
Leonardo Bonucci evaded the Lazio defence to slot home calmly after Paulo Dybala’s corner, which was flicked on well by Sandro, on 24 minutes.
But as always, Sandro was immense in every aspect, offering balance in attack and rarely being caught in defence. Playing in behind Mario Mandzukic, a striker recently converted into a left-winger, certainly, does the Croat the world of good.
#2 The referee was too lenient
On a huge night like the Coppa Italia final, a strong referee is imperative. Paulo Tagliavento, though, never seemed quite in control of this encounter. Numerous fouls were not given, particularly in the first half, and while nothing over the top happened in the end, tempers were flaring at times and it could have got nasty.
As is fast becoming an every game occurrence, players began to throw themselves to the ground, with Tagliavento failing to stamp that out either. It was certainly a full-blooded affair, but more was expected from the man in yellow, who only brandish a yellow card in the whole match, and that came in the 86th minute.
He came under pressure from Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi in the first half, and he could certainly have stamped his authority a lot more.
#3 Not starting Felipe Anderson was a costly error for Lazio
A positive start for Lazio was drowned out by Alves’ opener, and from then it was all down hill in the first half. Keita Balde Diao could have given them the lead when he linked up with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic before jinking into the box from the left-hand side and smacking the post.
Other than that, there was very little inspiration in Inzaghi’s side, especially first half. Marco Parolo was forced off through injury, meaning they lost some control of the tempo in the middle. Keita and Ciro Immobile were isolated in attack, failing to make any sort of impact on the game. The service was nowhere to be seen.
Felipe Anderson was that missing link, and his introduction changed things a little. His very first act was to test Neto in the Juve goal with a stinging shot, and from then, the gap between midfield and attack began to close. Anderson and fellow substitution Luis Alberto made Lazio push higher up the pitch, putting the eventual winners under a lot more pressure. The frustrating thing for Inzaghi will be that his side started with the same purpose, and could not get it back until, in reality, it was too late.
Juve most certainly dropped off in the second half, deliberately or not, but Anderson was a huge reason for that. Whether it was central, on the left or on the right, the Brazilian exercised his free role excellently by creating chances. If only he’d been on from the start.
#4 No Pjanic, less of a party
It is hard to criticise Juventus too much, but in the second half they did lose control somewhat, and a superior side than Lazio could have hurt them more. Miralem Pjanic would certainly not have let the game pass him by, while Tomas Rincon definitely has improvements to make to his game if he is to become a regular feature in Max Allegri’s plans.
The lack of experience in that area of the pitch became evident for Juve, with Sami Khedira still absent, which is ironic given the average age of the team on the night was over 30, even without Gianluigi Buffon. Anderson was able to put pressure on deep in Juve’s midfield, while Milinkovic-Savic was also able to find pockets of space too.
It was also no surprise to see Paulo Dybala withdrawn in the second half, because he was not afforded the same freedom as he was the first and barely impacted the game.
Pjanic is better higher up the pitch, but he can dictate the play well in the deeper role, as he was made to in the first half against former club Roma on Sunday night. Some would say Juve took their foot off the gas to manage the game, but that was definitely not the case. A stronger midfield would have eased them towards victory.
#5 Allegri didn’t manage the game too well
It has already been said, but had Juventus come up against better opposition on Wednesday, it could have been a much more problematic. But the thing is, that theory could be proven when they face Real Madrid. It was clear Juve were tiring, yet Allegri made just one substitution in the whole game, bringing on Mario Lemina for Dybala. Real will be able to pick them off if this happens in Cardiff, so the coach must utilise his squad much better.
Does Allegri have doubts over the depth after having to salvage a late draw against Torino and losing to Roma. That is one explanation, definitely, but it could also be a sign of stubbornness on his part. Real Madrid have shown they can go the distance, winning the Champions League in extra time in 2014 and on penalties in 2015.
The Coppa Italia final was won in the first half, and Juve have been able to assert their dominance in the big games this season. If they don’t against Real, though, their dreams could be shattered.
