Juventus Turin put in a commanding performance in this year’s Coppa Italia final, leaving Atalanta Bergamo virtually no chance. Mainly responsible for the record winner’s 15th title: Vlahovic and the defense
The role of favorites on paper was quickly established: Atalanta, who had only been defeated once in their last ten competitive matches and had also knocked out the great Liverpool FC in the Europa League or Roma (2:1) in the Serie A race for the fifth and final Champions League place, went into this Coppa final with a lot of self-confidence.
And yet it was record cup winners Juventus who left their mark on this final, which was held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. In other words, the Turin team that had been known for months for its staid and results-oriented defensive soccer.
Vlahovic with the golden start
The Old Lady came out with a great deal of intensity, attacking with vigor and almost without exception keeping the Bergamo attack in check with players like de Ketelaere, Koopmeiners and Lookman. Only the latter, an ex-Leipzig player, was able to get up to speed.
But it was the Bianconeri who struck the first blow of the evening – and they did so successfully: Cambiaso half-volleyed a fine through-ball from the turn against a Bergamo defense that had moved a little too far back. Vlahovic was then through, did not get offside, used his strong physical play to beat his opponent Hien and finished coolly in front of goalkeeper Carnesecchi to make it 1:0 (4th minute).
After a half-baked attempt by Pasalic – Juve keeper Perin was on the spot (13′) – Rabiot kept his foot on the ball after Chiesa’s through-ball. But here, too, a goalkeeper stood in the way, Carnesecchi. Cambiaso, meanwhile, missed his target (39) before Bergamo had their best chance just before the break. Pasalic was allowed to shoot quite freely, but Gatti blocked (44′).
Juve on top again
The picture was similar in the second half: apart from the bustling Lookman, who narrowly missed making it 1:1 with a deflected shot (51′) and was downright desperate in the closing stages with a shot that hit the post (80′), the Turin defense was unable to find any means to break the deadlock. In particular, the defensive head monster Bremer, who defended almost everything with his colleagues Gatti and Danilo, was completely superior.
It remained exciting for a long time, however, because the Bianconeri’s attack did not manage to make it 2-0 themselves: Vlahovic was denied a penalty after a push from Hien (55′), was also picked off by de Roon shortly before his second goal (64′) and, when he really did manage the brace with a header from a Cambiaso cross, was caught offside by a VAR decision. Substitute Miretti was also unlucky when he thundered against the crossbar from an acute angle (84′). But it was enough.
Juventus, who had to make do without their furious coach Massimiliano Allegri (red for insulting the referee) during the nine minutes of stoppage time, claimed their 15th Coppa Italia triumph with a fully deserved 1-0 victory in the final in Rome. A competition that many Atalanta supporters are beginning to demonize. The Bergamo side, who had only ever won one title in their club’s history (the trophy at the end of the 1962/63 season), now lost in a final for the third time since 2019 (0:2 against Lazio, 1:2 against Juventus and now another narrow defeat to the Turin side).
This was Allegri’s fifth Coppa win, by the way, a record in Italy ahead of Sven-Göran Eriksson and Roberto Mancini with four each.
