Dusan Vlahovic’s early strike propelled Juventus to a 1-0 victory over Atalanta in the Italian Cup final on Wednesday, concluding a challenging season with a much-needed trophy. Vlahovic scored just four minutes into the match, capitalizing on a swift counterattack. Although he later found the net again in the 72nd minute, the goal was disallowed for offside.
This triumph marks Juventus’ 15th Italian Cup title, extending their record. Despite a season of struggles that saw them drop to fourth place in Serie A, and speculation surrounding the future of coach Massimiliano Allegri, the team secured this significant victory. Allegri, who expressed his frustration with a referee’s decision during stoppage time and received a red card, nonetheless became the first coach to win the Italian Cup five times, surpassing Sven-Goran Eriksson and Roberto Mancini.
Juventus was barred from European competition this season due to a false accounting case. Reflecting on the win, Vlahovic said, “We qualified for the Champions League next season and we’ve won the Italian Cup, so we’ve achieved our goals for this season.”
Atalanta, set to face unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final next week, could not overcome Juventus in this match. Their only senior-level trophy remains the 1963 Italian Cup. There were also reports of clashes between fans of the two teams at a highway rest stop en route to Rome.
Juventus’ win on Wednesday gave them their first trophy in three years. Allegri’s squad has now played in 22 Italian Cup finals and won 15 of them, a record in both categories. The coach expressed his pride in the team: “Very happy for the boys, they brought joy to the club, to the fans, and to me. Winning is never easy, but it is in our DNA. If I am no longer the Juventus coach next year, I will leave a strong team. The club will make its evaluations.”
Vlahovic’s decisive goal came from an assist by Andrea Cambiaso, breaking into the box and sending the ball past Atalanta’s goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. This made Vlahovic the third Juventus player to score in two Coppa Italia finals, following John Charles and Savino Bellini.
Reflecting on the match, Vlahovic said, “I find it difficult to speak, I can only thank everyone. We know the difficulties we faced, in the end we achieved the objectives set at the beginning of the year. I’m sorry for the Scudetto, but Inter deservedly won it. We are very happy, but next year we must aim to win everything. Juventus’ DNA requires this.”
Despite dominating possession, Atalanta struggled to create scoring opportunities and failed to register a single shot on target. Their best chance came in the 80th minute when Ademola Lookman’s effort hit the post. This defeat marks Atalanta’s fifth consecutive loss in the Coppa Italia final since their last victory in 1963. They will look to bounce back in the upcoming Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
CHE LA FESTA ABBIA INIZIO! 💃🏼✨🤩
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