Juventus Season 2014-2015

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

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Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Fiorentina name squad for Juventus

Apr 7, 2014

Fiorentina Coach Vincenzo Montella has named his squad for tonight’s Coppa Italia semi-final with Juventus.

The Viola take on the Old Lady in Florence tonight holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg, meaning that they could even progress to the final with a 1-0 defeat thanks to their away goal.

However, Montella is not resting on his laurels, with a full-strength squad named, barring the still-recovering Giuseppe Rossi.

Mario Gomez, Mohamed Salah and Alberto Gilardino are all in contention to start in attack, with Alessandro Diamanti and Joaquin among those fighting it out for an attacking midfield position.


Fiorentina squad to face Juventus: Alonso, Aquilani, Babacar, Basanta, Borja Valero, Diamanti, Fernandez, Gilardino, Gomez, Gonzalo, Ilicic, Joaquin, Kurtic, Lazzari, Lezzerini, Neto, Pasqual, Richards, Rosati, Rosi, Salah, Savic, Tomovic, Vargas.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Confirmed: Tevez misses Fiorentina

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus have confirmed that striker Carlos Tevez will miss tonight’s Coppa Italia semi-final through injury.

The Bianconeri take on Fiorentina tonight looking to overcome a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, but will have to do so without their star striker.

“Carlos Tevez will miss out on tonight’s Coppa Italia semi-final return leg clash with Fiorentina,” the club confirmed on its official website, following reports earlier today.

“He returns to Turin as a precautionary measure due to persistent discomfort felt from flexor muscle fatigue in his right thigh, an issue first reported during yesterday’s training.

“The Argentine forward will undergo further medical assessments tomorrow.”

The Old Lady will hope that the injury is not too serious, as they face the first leg of their Champions League last eight clash with Monaco next week.

The 31-year-old has 25 goals and eight assists from his 35 matches in all competitions this season.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Matri to replace Tevez?

Apr 7, 2014

Alessandro Matri looks set to replace Carlos Tevez in attack when Juventus meet Fiorentina tonight.

The Bianconeri are in Florence for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, but were dealt a blow when Carlos Tevez was ruled out with muscular fatigue.

Sky reports that Matri will START in his place, representing his first start since returning to the Old Lady in January.

The 30-year-old has made substitute appearances against Genoa and Borussia Dortmund, but looks set to be given the nod tonight.

It’s believed Coach Massimiliano Allegri will return to his 4-3-1-2 system, with Marco Storari in goal in Gianluigi Buffon’s stead.

Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra will occupy the full-back places, with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini in the middle.

Claudio Marchisio is set to return in midfield alongside Arturo Vidal and Stefano Sturaro, with Roberto Pereyra in behind the strikers.

Alvaro Morata will partner Matri up front, with Pepe and Llorente ready to come on should a more direct approach be needed as the game wears on.


Probable Juventus team to face Fiorentina: Storari; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Sturaro, Marchisio, Vidal; Pereyra; Morata, Matri

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Line-ups: Fiorentina-Juventus

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus look to Alvaro Morata against Mohamed Salah’s Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia semi-final tonight.

It kicks off at 20.45 CET.

The first leg was a shock 2-1 Viola victory in Turin, decided by a Mohamed Salah brace around Fernando Llorente’s temporary equaliser.

That saw Juventus lose their unbeaten home run after 38 WINS and four draws in all competition, last losing to Bayern Munich in April 2013.

The Bianconeri’s chances of turning that around were hit by news Carlos Tevez is out of action with a muscular problem.

Andrea Barzagli is rested, so Max Allegri goes back to a four-man defence with Morata and Alessandro Matri leading the attack.

Claudio Marchisio had feared six months on the touchline, but it turns out his knee ligament was not damaged on international duty and he is back in the beginning XI tonight.

Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Martin Caceres and Kwadwo Asamoah are still out of action.

Fiorentina are still missing David Pizarro and Ciprian Tatarusanu, while Milan Badelj is suspended, though Stefan Savic returns after injury and Manuel Pasqual is back on the bench.

Salah will be hoping to follow on from his fantastic brace in Turin, partnering Mario Gomez and Joaquin.

There are numerous players who are one yellow card away from suspension, so would miss the Final in Rome.

They are Borja Valero, Jasmin Kurtic, Mati Fernandez and Marchisio.

The other semi-final between Napoli and Lazio is tomorrow evening.


Fiorentina: Neto; Gonzalo Rodriguez, Basanta, Savic, Alonso; Aquilani, Mati Fernandez, Borja Valero; Joaquin, Gomez, Salah

Fiorentina bench: Rosati, Richards, Vargas, Gilardino, Kurtic, Diamanti, Pasqual, Babacar, Lazzari, Rosi, Tomovic, Ilicic


Juventus: Storari; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Sturaro; Pereyra; Matri, Morata

Juventus bench: Buffon, Rubinho, Barzagli, Ogbonna, Marrone, De Ceglie, Padoin, Pepe, Coman, Llorente

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Marotta trusts in Matri

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus director Beppe Marotta believes Alessandro Matri “can play an important role” against Fiorentina tonight.

Matri starts alongside Alvaro Morata in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, filling in for the injured Carlos Tevez.

“I am confident Matri can play an important role in the tie tonight,” Marotta told Rai Sport.

“Carlitos felt pain in his right thigh, but it’s nothing worrying. The medics suggested it was best not to play him this evening. He will be fit to face Monaco.

“We are Juventus, so we always go out there to win. Against Empoli we confirmed our authority in Serie A, we’re still in the running for three tournaments and it is our duty to face every competition to the best of our abilities.

“Fiorentina are in great form and Vincenzo Montella deserves credit for doing great work as their Coach.”

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Basanta: 'Forget the first leg'

Apr 7, 2014

Jose Maria Basanta told Fiorentina to “forget the first leg” for tonight’s Coppa Italia semi-final with Juventus.

The Viola won 2-1 in Turin and are fighting for a place in the Final against either Napoli or Lazio.

“We must forget the first leg and play with the utmost concentration, as if it was still 0-0,” defender Basanta told Rai Sport.

“Juventus are a complicated opponent, but we want this Final.”

Carlos Tevez is out injured along with Paul Pogba and Andrea Pirlo.

“Tevez is an important player, but Juventus have other quality figures too.”

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

.-

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

HT 0-2: Juve turn Fiorentina around

Apr 7, 2014

Alessandro Matri and Roberto Pereyra gave Juventus a 2-0 half-time lead at Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia semi-final, up 3-2 on aggregate.

The Viola’s 2-1 first leg win in Turin represented the first Juve home defeat since Bayern Munich in April 2013, ending a run of 38 wins and four draws. Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and at the last minute Stephan Lichtsteiner missed out, while the hosts were without Milan Badelj, David Pizarro and Giuseppe Rossi.

Mohamed Salah scored twice in the first leg and he had the ball in the net after four minutes, but it was disallowed for a push on Stefano Sturaro.

Simone Padoin had penalty appeals for a clash with Jose Basanta, but appeared to be looking for the contact.

Juventus took the lead when Claudio Marchisio won back possession from Borja Valero in midfield, Alessandro Matri knocked it down for Alvaro Morata and the shot was charged down, but the ex-Genoa striker fired in the rebound.

Moments later Sturaro was at full stretch at the back post, unable to get his volley beyond Norberto Neto, then Gonzalo Rodriguez nodded in a Mati Fernandez free kick only to be flagged just offside.

Morata curled inches past the far post, possibly with a Neto fingertip save. The move was repeated just before the break and this time Neto only palmed the shot into the path of Roberto Pereyra to double Juve’s lead.

As things stood going into half-time, Juventus would qualify for the Coppa Italia Final 3-2 on aggregate.


Fiorentina 0-2 Juventus (2-3 agg, Half-Time)

Scorers: Matri 21 (J), Pereyra 44 (J)

Fiorentina: Neto; Savic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Basanta; Joaquin, Aquilani, Mati Fernandez, Borja Valero, Alonso; Gomez, Salah

Juventus: Storari; Padoin, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Sturaro; Pereyra; Matri, Morata

Ref: Massa

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Fiorentina 0-3 Juventus (agg. 2-4): Bianconeri
brush Viola aside to reach Coppa Italia final

Alessandro Matri opened the scoring and Roberto Pereyra doubled the Serie A leaders'
advantage right on half-time before Leonardo Bonucci sealed a remarkable comeback.

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus moved closer to a first Coppa Italia trophy in 20 years, reaching the showpiece after overturning a first-leg deficit to beat Fiorentina 3-0 and seal a 4-2 aggregate success in their semi-final on Tuesday.

The Italian champions suffered their first home loss since 2013 in the first leg but produced an excellent display in Florence as goals from Alessandro Matri, Roberto Pereyra and Leonardo Bonucci secured their progression.

Making the win more impressive was the amount of stars Juventus were without. Forward Carlos Tevez missed with a muscular problem while Andrea Pirlo (calf) and Paul Pogba (hamstring) remained on the sidelines and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was rested.

Their win was soured by an 88th-minute red card to forward Alvaro Morata, a decision which seemed harsh. Morata's tackle on Alessandro Diamanti was clumsy, but not reckless. He will now join Claudio Marchisio in missing the final, after the midfielder was shown a second-half yellow card.

Despite the late cards, Massimiliano Allegri's men were more than comfortable against a flat Fiorentina and will now meet either Napoli or Lazio in the June 7 final in Rome.

Juventus last lifted the Coppa Italia in 1995, beating Parma over two legs, but have lost three finals since, most recently to Napoli in 2012.

Fiorentina's defeat means their own drought - which runs back to 2001 - continues. They lost last season's final to Napoli.

Mohamed Salah - so superb since joining Fiorentina on loan from Chelsea in January - tormented Juve in the first leg, scoring both goals in their 2-1 away win.

And he was nearly at it again as early as the fourth minute, after he wriggled his way into the penalty area before scoring, only to see the effort ruled out for his push on Bonucci in the build-up.

It was an early warning sign and Fiorentina would go on to control the first 20 minutes before falling behind, after Marchisio broke down the right and found Matri, who played in Morata.

And while the Spaniard's effort was blocked, Matri pounced on the loose ball to prod past Neto and level the tie.

Stefano Sturaro went close as Juve pressed for a second, while at the other end, Fiorentina had another goal chalked off as Gonzalo Rodriguez was correctly adjudged offside before he nodded in a free-kick.

Juventus then took the aggregate lead on the stroke of half-time, as Pereyra, a constant threat with his powerful forward runs, tapped in the rebound from close range after Morata's effort was saved.

Fiorentina were expected to respond after the break and they did initially, as Mario Gomez fired into the side netting before Salah missed the target after a dangerous run.

But their revival fizzled out as Pereyra's shot was nearly deflected in by Stefan Savic before the same player forced a good save from Neto.

And Juventus would seal their victory from the resulting corner, as Bonucci got free of his man to volley home from seven yards in the 59th minute.

Rodriguez was then booked for an elbow on Morata as they contested a high ball, but Marchisio - who was passed fit to play despite fears he suffered a serious knee injury on international duty - was booked for his remonstrations.

Alberto Aquilani fired just wide as Fiorentina sought a response but the match petered out in the latter stages, as Juventus - leading Serie A by 14 points and still involved in the Champions League - began to dream of a historic treble.

And although Morata's late dismissal was unfortunate, Allegri will hope to have the likes of Tevez, Pirlo and Pogba back for the final.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Coppa Italia: Juve flatten Fiorentina

Juventus pulverised Fiorentina 3-0 to overturn a first leg defeat and reach
the Coppa Italia Final 4-2 on aggregate, but Alvaro Morata saw red.

Apr 7, 2014

Max Allegri’s men will face the winners of tomorrow night’s Napoli-Lazio semi-final.

The Viola’s 2-1 first leg win in Turin represented the first Juve home defeat since Bayern Munich in April 2013, ending a run of 38 wins and four draws. Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and at the last minute Stephan Lichtsteiner missed out, while the hosts were without Milan Badelj, David Pizarro and Giuseppe Rossi.

Mohamed Salah scored twice in the first leg and he had the ball in the net after four minutes, but it was disallowed for a push on Stefano Sturaro.

Simone Padoin had penalty appeals for a clash with Jose Basanta, but appeared to be looking for the contact.

Juventus took the lead when Claudio Marchisio won back possession from Borja Valero in midfield, Alessandro Matri knocked it down for Alvaro Morata and the shot was charged down, but the ex-Genoa striker fired in the rebound.

Moments later Sturaro was at full stretch at the back post, unable to get his volley beyond Norberto Neto, then Gonzalo Rodriguez nodded in a Mati Fernandez free kick only to be flagged just offside.

Morata curled inches past the far post, possibly with a Neto fingertip save. The move was repeated just before the break and this time Neto only palmed the shot into the path of Roberto Pereyra to double Juve’s lead.

As things stood going into half-time, Juventus would qualify for the Coppa Italia Final 3-2 on aggregate.

Mario Gomez fired on to the side-netting and Salah skimmed the woodwork, but at the other end Stefan Savic risked an own goal to anticipate Matri.

Juve further extended their advantage from that corner, which saw Leonardo Bonucci break away from Marcos Alonso to volley home.

A brawl broke out moments later and Marchisio was among those booked, meaning he’ll be suspended for the Coppa Italia Final.

Alberto Aquilani’s volley whistled inches wide with Marco Storari rooted to the spot, but Neto prevented Matri getting a fourth with a fine save on his strike.

Storari took the sting out of an Alessandro Diamanti free kick late on, though Diamanti drew a kick from Morata that the referee decided was worthy of a straight red card. The ex-Real Madrid striker will therefore also be suspended for the Final.

In stoppages, Storari performed a fine save to keep out the Mati Fernandez curler.


Fiorentina 0-3 Juventus (2-4 agg)

Scorers: Matri 21 (J), Pereyra 44 (J), Bonucci 59 (J)

Fiorentina: Neto; Savic, Gonzalo Rodriguez (Tomovic 83), Basanta; Joaquin (Diamanti 66), Aquilani, Mati Fernandez, Borja Valero, Alonso; Gomez (Babacar 73), Salah

Juventus: Storari; Padoin, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Sturaro; Pereyra (Ogbonna 83); Matri (Coman 74) (Llorente 88), Morata

Ref: Massa

Sent off: Morata 87 (J)

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Juventus secure place in Coppa Italia
final with victory over Fiorentina

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus have sealed their place in the Coppa Italia final by defeating Fiorentina 3-0 in the second leg of their semi-final clash to claim a 4-2 aggregate win.

The home side were the first to threaten as Juventus failed to clear a loose ball in their penalty area, which Mohamed Salah latched on to and fired into the bottom corner. However, the goal was disallowed for an apparent push on Stefano Sturaro.

Fiorentina came close again as Marcos Alonso was allowed to raid down the left flank and the full-back opted to power an effort at goal, which forced Marco Storari into action as he palmed the ball past the post.

Juventus took the lead on the night when Matri pounced from close range to fire past Neto after Arturo Vidal's strike was blocked by Jose Maria Basanta and the home side failed to clear the danger.

The Viola had another goal disallowed when Gonzalo Rodriguez had his header from close range chalked off for offside when he nodded home from a free kick, which replays proved was the right decision.

Alvaro Morata came close to firing his side in front when he curled an effort at goal from outside the box, but Neto got his fingertips to the ball to tip his strike past the post.

The visitors doubled their lead to take the advantage in the tie as Morata caused further problems when he turned and fired a low effort at goal. Neto once again denied the forward, but Pereyra was on hand to turn in the rebound.

In the second half, Fiorentina pushed to get back into the match as Matias Fernandez fired a low cross into the box for the run of Mario Gomez, but the striker could only fire into the side-netting.

Both sides then exchanged chances as Salah capitalised on a mistake from Vidal, but could only guide his strike over the bar. At the other end Pereyra saw his powerful effort well saved by Neto at the near post.

Juventus got a decisive third goal when Claudio Marchisio whipped in a corner from the right and the Fiorentina defence switched off at the near post, which allowed Leonardo Bonucci to hammer a volley past the keeper.

Matri almost notched his second of the game to complete the rout as he was picked out by Pereyra inside the box, but his drive was saved well by Neto to keep the scoreline respectable.

The game ended on a sour note for the visitors when Morata was given a straight red card for a challenge on Borja Valero, which appeared to be a harsh decision, but not one that affected the outcome of the match as Massimiliano Allegri's men eased to the victory.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Fiorentina 0-3 Juventus (2-4 Agg): Allegri’s
Men March Into The Coppa Italia Final

Apr 7, 2014

After an impressive 2-1 first leg victory in Turin gave them the advantage in this contest, Fiorentina’s Coppa Italia hopes fell apart at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Tuesday evening as Juventus turned in an impressive performance to come away from Tuscany with a commanding 3-0 victory.

Strikes from Alessandro Matri, Roberto Pereyra and Leonardo Bonucci could not be matched by the Viola who huffed and puffed but simply had no reply as Juventus steamrollered their way through to the final.

After terrorizing the Bianconeri defence in the first leg, Mohamed Salah started this game with exactly the same energy and verve and he was unlucky not to open the scoring in the fourth minute when he managed to wriggle through the visitors defence and poke the ball under Marco Storari. However, the referee disallowed the goal after ruling that Salah had fouled Stefano Sturaro during the penalty box scramble.

Undeterred by that disappointment, the tricky Egyptian continued to look lively throughout the opening stages, causing Juventus problems with his speed and movement as the Viola played a high tempo game and pressed the visitors extremely high up the pitch, allowing them very little time on the ball.

Despite struggling with Fiorentina’s intensity, it was Juventus who opened the scoring against the run of play in the 21th minute. Claudio Marchisio broke away down the right and whipped in a cross which ricocheted into the path of Matri who tucked the ball past Neto to draw the Bianconeri level on aggregate.

Following the goal the game settled down somewhat and Massimiliano Allegri’s men began to stamp their authority on proceedings although the home side did have a effort from a free kick ruled for offside in the 37th minute.

However, it was Juventus who added another goal just before half time to give the Binaconeri a 3-2 lead over both legs. A fluid passing move cumulated with Álvaro Morata striking the ball from just inside the Viola box and although Neto got down to make the save, Pereyra was sharpest to react and he slotted away the rebound from close range.

Unsurprisingly, given the scoreline, it was Fiorentina who emerged from the break with more intent and Mario Gomez came close from a tight angle early in the first half while Salah put a good chance over the bar a few moments later.

For all the hosts aggresive resolve, Juventus always looked exceptionally dangerous when counter attacking and Pereyra and Matri combined brilliantly on the break to win a corner in the 58th minute.

From the resulting set piece, Leonardo Bonucci arrived in the box with perfect timing to smash home Juve’s third and effectively end this game as a contest.

The match did contain one more moment of drama as Morata was given a straight red card for a foolish and completely unnecessary foul from behind on Alessandro Diamanti in the dying minutes, thus depriving his coach of his attacking talents for the final.

Ultimately Vincenzo Montella’s men were punished for their openness and naively while Allegri’s game management demonstrated exactly why his side are now one match away from a domestic double and beginning to dream about a treble.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Pereyra: 'Juve showed strength'

Apr 7, 2014

Roberto Pereyra said Juventus showed their strength in a 3-0 hammering of Fiorentina to reach the Coppa Italia Final.

The Bianconeri had lost the first leg 2-1 in Turin, but turned it all around for a 4-2 aggregate triumph at the Stadio Franchi.

“There are many players in this squad and today we showed that we are strong in a difficult arena. We prepared the game well over the week and got the result we wanted,” Pereyra told Rai Sport.

He was one of the goalscorers on the night along with Alessandro Matri and Leonardo Bonucci.

Juve are now in the running for the Treble, as they face Monaco in the Champions League quarter-final and have one hand on the Scudetto. Did the victory away to Borussia Dortmund signal a change in mentality?

“Before the Borussia Dortmund match we were also solid and working well. Now we are working to continue along this path.

“We are taking it one game at a time and we’re happy with tonight, as we really wanted to reach the Final and felt we deserved it.”

Max Allegri might not be quite as vocal as Antonio Conte, but he too shouts regularly at his players.

“Allegri is a little fiery on the touchline, but he’s happy as we are all working well together.”

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Juventus cruise past Fiorentina in second
leg to reach Coppa Italia final

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus stormed into the Coppa Italia final after overturning a semifinal first-leg deficit to thrash Fiorentina in the return clash at the Artemio Franchi.

The Bianconeri trailed 2-1 coming into the second leg, but a 3-0 victory on Tuesday night lifted them into the final against either Lazio or Napoli on June 7 at the Stadio Olimpico.

After in-form Fiorentina winger Mohamed Salah had a goal disallowed, the visitors opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Alessandro Matri stabbed home after the ball had fallen to him from Alvaro Morata's blocked shot.

Juve doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Roberto Pereyra scored from the rebound after Morata's strike had been parried by Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto.

And there would be no way back for the Viola when an unmarked Leonardo Bonucci volleyed home from a corner in the 59th minute.

Juve's night was soured slightly when Morata was harshly sent off near full-time after a challenge on Alessandro Diamanti.

However, they comfortably held on and will go in search of their first Coppa Italia crown since 1995.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Montella: 'Juve were stronger'

Apr 7, 2014

Vincenzo Montella said Fiorentina must admit “Juventus were stronger” after a 3-0 Coppa Italia semi-final defeat.

The Viola had been in pole position after a 2-1 first leg victory in Turin, becoming the first side to win there since Bayern Munich in April 2013.

“We knew that we were facing a strong side. The first leg was only one part of it, we didn’t put in the performance we wanted,” the Coach told Rai Sport.

“Juventus deserved to win, even if the incidents went their way. Even the lucky ricochets went their way and that makes a big difference on a psychological level.

“I was frankly baffled by the early disallowed Mohamed Salah goal, as the push didn’t seem worthy of that fall. Never mind, Juve deserved it overall.

“Fiorentina weren’t too bad during the game itself, but Juventus were clinical and took all their chances, whereas we did not.

“We need certain figures in midfield against a side like Juve and suffered physically as well as being outnumbered there.

“The goal on the stroke of half-time really took the wind out of our sails. Obviously against a side with such physical strength it becomes complicated, but my team wanted to score to the end and continued to fight hard until the final whistle.

“At times you just have to acknowledge the other team was stronger. The Serie A table shows how far ahead Juventus are from the rest, so evidently that’s still the case.”

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

FIORENTINA 0-3 JUVENTUS
COPPA ITALIA PLAYER RATINGS

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus are through to the final of the Coppa Italia following a dominant away performance against Fiorentina.

The Bianconeri started the brighter of the two sides and took a narrow lead through Alessandro Matri as he fired home from Alvaro Morata’s rebounded effort.

Morata was on hand again to force a save from Norberto Neto, but the Fiorentina keeper could only palm the ball into the path of Roberto Pereyra who put Juventus ahead on the night.

It was more of the same in the second half before Leonardo Bonucci finally put the tie out of reach with a brilliantly taken volley, giving Juve a 4-2 lead over the two legs.


Marco Storari 7.0 - Had a few tricky saves to make in the first half. Always on his toes and looked utterly comfortable, largely thanks to his defence.

Simone Padoin 6.5 - Stepped in for the injured Stephan Lichtsteiner and gave a solid performance, giving Juve some much needed width.

Leonardo Bonucci 7.5 - Despite one shaky moment early on, he was superb. Brilliant positioning, marked Gomez out of the game and restricted Fiorentina attacks. Scored a sublime volley to secure the result.

Giorgio Chiellini 7.0 - A defensive masterclass. Kept Salah in his pocket all night, worked perfectly in tandem with Bonucci to marshall the defence.

Patrice Evra 6.5 - Defended brilliantly tonight. Made some great tackles to keep Joaquin quiet but didn’t get forward as often as he could have.

Arturo Vidal 7.5 - Exceptional workrate, linked up with Pereyra to create openings for his teammates. Tackled, harried and won the ball back in midfield. Marred only by his temperament at times.

Claudio Marchisio 8.0 - A midfield masterclass. Played a range of intricate passes and crosses that Pirlo would have been proud of. Booked unfairly and will miss out on the final.

Stefano Sturaro 6.5 - A good rugged display from the youngster. Fought hard in midfield and played well with Evra to the side of him. Improving with each performance.

Roberto Pereyra 8.0 - Another performance highlighting just why he was bought in the summer. Scored his second goal in a week and he was at the heart of many Juve attacks, playeing some great passes to set up his teammates. Exceptional.

Alessandro Matri 7.0 - Took his goal brilliantly, held up the play and seemed to benefit for having Alvaro Morata alongside him. A poacher’s performance.

Alvaro Morata 6.5 - Played his part in the first 2 Juve goals. Showed a great range of crossing and generally worked his hardest before getting sent off for a stupid challenge.


Substitutes

Angelo Ogbonna N/A

Kingsley Coman N/A

Fernando Llorente N/A

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Player Ratings: Fiorentina 0-3 Juventus
(Agg 2-4)

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus trounced Fiorentina 3-0 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday evening.

First-half goals from Alessandro Matri and Roberto Pereyra set the Bianconeri on their way to the final, before Leonardo Bonucci put the tie beyond doubt with a fine second-half strike to make the aggregate score 4-2.

 

Fiorentina

Norberto Neto – 6.5 – Exposed - Made a couple of impressive stops, somehow getting his fingertips to a curling Morata effort five minutes before half-time. Could do little to stop Juve’s goals due to some awful marking from the back four.

Stefan Savic – 5 – Uncomfortable - Allowed Alvaro Morata to cut inside with ease on several occasions. Looked like a fish out of water at right-back and almost notched an own goal early in the second period.

Gonzalo Rodriguez – 5.5 – Beleaguered - Proved a real danger in the opposition box from set-pieces throughout the first half, but played a part in several defensive errors at the back.

Jose Maria Basanta – 5 – Sleepy - Lost his man Roberto Pereyra for Juventus’ second goal during an off-colour performance. Seemed off the pace.

Joaquin – 5.5 – Fleeting - Drifted in and out of the game as is his wont. Skinned Evra on occasion, but couldn’t make it count with the final ball and was replaced midway through the second half.

Alberto Aquilani – 5.5 – Unremarkable - Sent a beautiful effort just wide when the Viola were chasing the game, but didn’t see enough of the ball overall and duly failed to put his stamp on proceedings.

Matias Fernandez – 5.5 – Timid - Got bullied out of the game and could only point to one decent free-kick delivery as his only meaningful contribution.

Borja Valero – 6.5 – Schemer - Tried his best to set chances up for his teammates in the opening period, but got stifled by the powerful opposition midfield as the match went on.

Marcos Alonso – 7 – Relentless - Got forward well along the left flank, providing an outlet for his teammates at all times. Put in a threatening cross-shot that troubled Storari and also stuck to his task well in defensive areas. It’s a shame his back-line colleagues couldn’t live up to his high standards.

Mohamed Salah – 6 – Ineffective - Lively in the opening moments, but became marginalised as the match progressed. Not as influential as in a number of previous outings.

Mario Gomez – 4 – Disinterested - Received little service and didn’t put in the requisite effort in order to get himself more involved in the action. Went off after 72 minutes having had one wayward shot.


Substitutes

Alessandro Diamanti (66 mins) – 6.5

Khouma Babacar (72 mins) – 6

Nenad Tomovic (83 mins) – N/A


 

Juventus

Marco Storari – 6.5 – Dependable - Dealt with a selection of dangerous crosses and a small amount of half-chances competently. Relatively comfortable night for the veteran.

Simone Padoin – 7 – Able - Late replacement for Stephan Lichtsteiner and applied himself well at both ends of the field. Strong defensively and got forward consistently without getting caught out of position.

Leonardo Bonucci – 7.5 – Exemplary - Rock solid at the back and volleyed home Juve’s third of the evening in emphatic fashion.

Giorgio Chiellini – 7 – Untroubled - Captain for the evening Chiellini wasn’t put under any real pressure. He and Bonucci bossed it at the back.

Patrice Evra – 6 – Lacklustre - Didn’t bomb forward as much as we’re used to seeing him do it and often found wanting defensively. Disappointing showing from a man who is usually so reliable.

Stefano Sturaro – 5.5 – Quiet - Didn’t stake a claim on a regular spot during only his fourth appearance of the season for Juventus.

Claudio Marchisio – 7.5 – Composed - Looked back to full fitness after his injury scare on international duty. Was integral to everything good about Juventus’ attacking play with probing passes and a positive approach. Earned a silly booking which puts him out of the final.

Arturo Vidal – 6.5 – Valiant - Chilean destroyer Vidal battled bravely for every contested ball and gave his team a platform to build upon. Not at his very best, but played a vital role for the side.

Roberto Pereyra – 8 – Sparkling - Played the number ten role brilliantly with some fantastic touches and bursting runs into the box. Grabbed a deserved goal and could have had more. Superb display.

Alessandro Matri – 7 – Presence - Held the ball up well and poked home the opener for his first goal in 23 months for the Bianconeri. Denied further strikes by good work from Fiorentina stopper Neto.

Alvaro Morata – 7.5 – Sharp - The young Spaniard was quick to pounce on any loose balls and always ready to shoot on sight. Though a tad ball-greedy at times, he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. However, he received a straight red card two minutes from the end for an innocuous challenge on Fiorentina sub Alessandro Diamanti. Faces missing the final along with Marchisio.


Substitutes

Kingsley Coman (75 mins) – N/A

Angelo Ogbonna (83 mins) – N/A

Fernando Llorente (89 mins) – N/A

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Allegri: 'Treble would be nice!'

Apr 7, 2014

Max Allegri replied to Juventus doubters and joked about a Treble push after flattening Fiorentina 3-0 to reach the Coppa Italia Final.

This is the first time ever that Juve have gone through in the Coppa Italia after losing the first leg at home.

They were beaten 2-1 in Turin, but emerged with a 3-0 triumph at the Stadio Franchi to book a spot in the Final against Napoli or Lazio.

This evening’s result was achieved even without Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Stephan Lichtsteiner.

“Some players were missing, others played with different characteristics,” Allegri told Rai Sport.

“We’ve done that throughout the season, as don’t forget we were without Andrea Barzagli for eight months, while Martin Caceres and Kwadwo Asamoah have barely been available.

“This is the proof that the players are all strong and put themselves at the disposal of the team with their own characteristics when needed.

“This is the decisive part of the season and the group is in good shape, for which my fitness staff deserves credit.

“I thought the team interpreted this game very well, as it’s by no means easy to win away to a Fiorentina side that has been playing great football. We did well on and off the ball, above all when defending.”

Claudio Marchisio and Alvaro Morata will be suspended for the Final, the Spaniard getting a straight red in the final minutes for tripping Alessandro Diamanti.

“If Morata really had to foul him, he should’ve tugged his shirt. Unfortunately he’s young and still needs to learn these tips and tricks. It seemed excessive to give a red card for that, but we’ll make do.

“We’ll have Pogba back, Alessandro Matri played very well and scored a goal tonight, so I am very happy for him. We’ve got Kingsley Coman, who unfortunately I had to take off because I needed someone tall like Fernando Llorente to get the ball in the air.

Allegri was subjected to insults and even threats after he replaced Antonio Conte, but has won over the doubters.

“I hear people say you need this, that and the other to win in football. I believe there are many ways to win and to play, but so much depends on the character and approach of a team.

“This is a squad of great individuals and the more they improve, the better the team will play. I don’t know how they worked in the past. I brought my concepts and my views of football, which might be right or wrong.

“In my view, the fewer reference points you give to opponents, the more likely you are to win.”

They are potentially on track for the Treble, though the Coppa Italia Final is set for June 7 and the Champions League Final on June 6.

“I am the Juventus Coach. As I always said, the Coach and players go through, the club remains.

“It’s normal the fans were upset at the changes, but we are in a crucial stage of the season, have reached the Final of the Coppa Italia, need another four wins and a draw to mathematically secure the Scudetto and will try to reach the Champions League semi-final.

“Monaco are a tougher team than they might look on paper, so we’ll see what happens. It’d be nice to have to move the Coppa Italia Final!”

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Juventus 3 - Fiorentina 0: Initial reaction
and random observations

Apr 7, 2014

Juventus, on the road, in Florence, down 2-1 on aggregate after the first leg. Not exactly the kind of situation that makes you full of optimism or positive feelings. Luckily, Juventus made us think otherwise even before the first half at the Franchi came to an end.

That 2-1 aggregate scoreline got flipped — fast. First Alessandro Matri, then Roberto Pereyra right before halftime. Goodbye, aggregate deficit. Hello, brand new 3-2 lead. Once Leonardo Bonucci's right foot hammered home goal No. 3, Juventus were well on their way to the Coppa italia final thanks to a brilliant performance. On the road. At the Franchi.

Just like we all thought would happen, right?

Ehhhhh, I dunno about that one.

Oh yeah, they also got Marco Storari a clean sheet. So, when looking at the end result in the two legs against Fiorentina, it's pretty remarkable how Juve were able to overcome what happened in the first leg — at their home stadium, no less — and advance with so many important pieces sitting back in Turin watching the game.

That's not only the mark of a good team, but one that will be lifting at least one fancy trophy come the end of the season at the very minimum.

Let's just do a quick season recap in the span of one paragraph, shall we? You're telling me Juventus is currently in the Champions League quarterfinals with a very good chance of advancing even further, the Coppa Italia final against a team TBD tomorrow and a 14-point lead in Serie A with nine games to go? That's pretty good, I'd say.

Yeah, it's been a pretty good season for you, Max. You've got every reason to smile in pictures. (Although, I still really like the funny ones, so just remember that.) That praise you received after Juve beat Borussia Dortmund, well it's about to return with the absolutely wonderful performance against Fiorentina. You go on the road to a hostile atmosphere like the Franchi is and throttle La Viola 3-0 deserves that kind of praise.

A job well done to everybody. Especially to you, Mister Allegri.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "Winning in Florence is a real feat. Credit to the lads."


Random thoughts and observations

Better second leg team performance, Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund or Juventus vs. Fiorentina? Just go right ahead and discuss.

Another question: Why, up 3-0 in the final few minutes, is Álvaro Morata even risking some kind of serious punishment from the referee when going in for a tackle? That red card will cost him a spot in the Coppa Italia final, which is a shame considering how well he played against Fiorentina and this season as a whole. Prepare your Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente complaints now.

Claudio Marchisio will also miss the Coppa Italia final, and that is probably going to be a bigger loss than that of Morata. It's amazing how less than two weeks ago we were thinking Marchisio's season was done, then he's out there just flat out dominating the midfield against Fiorentina. He was everywhere — making tackles, tracking back on defense, pretty much everything else you can think of. His tackle was what kickstarted what ended up being Matri's opener in the 20th minute, and then his corner was the assist on Bonucci's game-clincher. That's just the perfect bookends to another great game from Marchisio. Yeah, that guy who had a torn ACL for about eight hours a week and a half ago.

This was the kind of game that reminds me why Roberto Pereyra is valuable piece to the puzzle. He's been a little inconsistent and frustrating sometimes this season, but when he puts it all together like that, it's pretty fun to watch. Is he full-time starter material on a team that goes deep into Europe? I don't know. But he's definitely a good player to have around — both because of his versatility and ability to make an impact wherever he plays on the field.

So, what were you thinking when you heard Tévez wasn't going to be playing? Probably a little sad, right? Well, Alessandro Matri definitely helped fill the void. It was more than just the goal, too. His first start since coming back to Juve was a vintage kind of Matri performance. It's exactly what Juve needed with Tévez missing out. Not a bad guy to have around on the bench, I gotta admit.

Stefano Sturaro is a bulldog. He is a relentless bulldog who is showing he can hang on this level of Italian football. He has gotten two starts in a row and hasn't really shown us any reason why he doesn't deserve any more playing time.

Remember how I was worried about Mo Salah running wild on the Juventus defense like he did in the first leg last month? Yeah, well, Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini did a pretty good job of keeping Fiorentina's hottest striker off the scoresheet. The goals and the advancement into the Coppa Italia final are the headliners — and rightfully so — but keeping somebody like Salah, who was playing so well, quiet is a pretty big accomplishment as well.

What's Kingsley Coman gotta do to get more than five minutes of playing time? Just throwing it out there.

Three goals at the Franchi. It's still sinking in.

No Tévez. No Pogba. No Pirlo. No Asamoah. No Buffon. But there was Padoin. Take that!

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Juventus way better than every
other team in Italy - Montella

After watching his Fiorentina side beaten 3-0 on home soil in the Coppa Italia
semi-final second leg, the coach feels no Serie A side can compete with the Bianconeri.

Apr 7, 2014

Vincenzo Montella says that the rest of Italy is way behind Juventus after watching his Fiorentina team dumped out of the Coppa Italia by the Old Lady on Tuesday.

The Bianconeri won three consecutive Scudetti under Antonio Conte and have shown no signs of slumping under Massimiliano Allegri, who took over last summer, as they are 14 points clear at the top of Serie A with nine games to go.

Despite being without key players such as Paul Pogba, Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon, Juve still smashed Fiorentina 3-0 in their semi-final second leg thanks to goals from Alessandro Matri, Roberto Pereyra and Leonardo Bonucci.

Montella was frustrated that Mohamed Salah's early effort - which would have put them 3-1 up on aggregate in a tie they ultimately lost 4-2 - was ruled out by officials, but conceded that there had been a clear gulf in class between the two sides.

"Evidently, the gap between Juventus and the rest of Italy is large," he told Rai Sport. "This is proven by the gap in Serie A.

"There is bitterness in this defeat but we have no regrets. Congratulations to Juventus, we did our best but it wasn't good enough.

"Cup games don't have favourites, maybe the game would have been different, though. Juventus deserved to reach the final in the end, even if they got lucky at times.

"I am not just referring to Salah's ruled-out goal four minutes in - which puzzles me still - but with rebounds too. The goal before half-time paralysed us.

"We played with pride, it's a real shame we went out with a 3-0 defeat but now we will focus on the Europa League and Serie A."

Juventus will play either Napoli or Lazio in the Coppa Italia final, with the second leg of their semi-final to take place at the San Paolo on Wednesday.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Tevez barely missed as Juventus
machine clicks into gear

The Bianconeri made light work of a first-leg deficit to reach
the Coppa Italia final and keep their hopes of a historic treble alive.

Apr 7, 2014

By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent

Even when they are beaten, Juventus are seemingly unbeatable.

The Bianconeri’s only loss in their last 30 fixtures since an injury-time reverse at Genoa in October came in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash with Fiorentina. But Tuesday’s systematic dismantling of the Viola in the return at the Artemio Franchi excised the 2-1 loss at Juventus Stadium from the record books and reinvigorated treble talk in Turin.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side were shorn of Gianluigi Buffon, Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba even before losing Stephan Lichtsteiner to injury in the warm-up, yet they took apart one of the country’s most dangerous sides with a superbly opportunistic display. By the end, the home side were thanking goalkeeper Neto for keeping the score down to 3-0.

It was just a shame that Juve’s copybook was blotted late on when Alvaro Morata was ridiculously sent off for a non-event of a foul on Alessandro Diamanti. Just as they’re winning everything else right now, Juventus are odds-on to triumph in their inevitable appeal.

“To turn the tables, we need to win by a two-goal margin. We need a good performance and calm heads,” Allegri warned before the match. “We need to be extremely patient and make the most of the chances that fall our way.”

They did all that and more. This was a clear reminder of what Juve are capable of, and a timely one at that, with Monaco in town next Tuesday for the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Bianconeri should have the measure of Leonardo Jardim’s side and, on this form, they could be a challenge for bigger and better outfits to follow.

It is true that Fiorentina are prone to the odd blowout, with their recent 4-0 loss at Lazio bringing a shuddering halt to their slim hopes of qualification for the Champions League, but this was a Juve side missing half of their first XI. They should have been there for the taking but instead they were inspirational.

Most impressively, they were dangerous in the final third despite the loss of Tevez. Their Argentine hitman has been in immaculate form for much of this season, and his absence with a thigh injury was expected to be one setback too many in the quest to overcome their first-leg loss.

But Alessandro Matri was patient, Morata lively and Roberto Pereyra irresistible as Vincenzo Montella watched his back line throw up their hands and admit defeat in their bid to supress what Allegri has largely perceived to be his second-string strike force.

With players of the calibre of Morata and Pereyra backing up Fernando Llorente and Tevez in the Bianconeri’s Champions League squad, there is plenty of depth to call upon.

Perhaps crucially, Allegri switched back to a 4-3-1-2 for this fixture after sending a back three out for the victories over Genoa and Empoli in Serie A. Since originally realigning from Antonio Conte’s favoured formation, Juve have won four of five Champions League fixtures, drawing the other against Atletico Madrid to secure passage from the group stage. They’ve also stepped up to another level domestically.

Juventus are now Coppa Italia finalists, Serie A champions-elect and Champions League quarter-finalists, but the good news doesn’t end there. They are finally playing in the right shape, have the correct attitude, excellent depth, have game-changing players to come back and are playing with confidence.

Treble talk may well still be a little premature but the Bianconeri have reason to believe - and that’s bad news for everyone else.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Chiellini: Juventus face two months of fire

The defender is trying not to think too much winning the treble, but says the Bianconeri
have proven that they have sufficient strength in depth to pull it off.

Apr 8, 2014

Giorgio Chiellini believes that Juventus have "two months of fire" coming up after they reached the Coppa Italia final at Fiorentina's expense on Tuesday.

The defender played his part as Massimiliano Allegri's men defeated Vincenzo Montella's side 3-0 in the semi-final second leg, turning around their 2-1 loss in the opener, which kept their treble hopes alive.

With a Champions League quarter-final against Monaco coming up this month and now a domestic cup final to look forward to, Chiellini believes the Serie A table-toppers are well-placed to repeat Inter's treble success five years ago under Jose Mourinho.

"Juve wanted to take control of the semi-final from the start," the centre-back told Rai Sport. "We managed to ease into the rhythm well then tried to hit the weak points of Fiorentina.

"I did not expect such a great result, to be honest, with so many key players absent, but this just proves what a great group we have and how everybody deserves to wear the Bianconeri jersey.

"We have to continue to be flexible with our tactics and our personnel, as we have two months of fire coming up.

"Winning games helps one's winning attitude, and these last few weeks in Serie A have given us the strength to thrive in the cup and in Europe.

"Treble talk is more a newspaper's job than mine, but it is right that fans dream of such success. We must not take our eye off the ball, though.

"You have to think about the present and the upcoming matches, not the prize at the end of the road."

On Saturday, Juventus continue their assault on Serie A with a trip to rock-bottom Parma, who surprisingly held Inter to a draw at the weekend, before hosting Arsenal's conquerors Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Allegri shows his genius in leading
Juventus past Fiorentina in Coppa Italia

Apr 8, 2014

Having only lost one match in their last 19, it was Fiorentina with the advantage with the two away goals after the 2-1 win in their Coppa Italia semifinal first leg encounter in Turin. And if they needed any more icing on the cake, they had one in that Juventus had never managed to overturn a first leg defeat at home in the competition. Yet despite the absences of key personnel and the first leg defeat at home, Juventus put in a tremendous performance to win 3-0 on the night, 4-2 on aggregate, owing their excellence and progression to team spirit and intelligent coaching.

When Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri announced his starting line-up, this particular column was disappointed. Was Alessandro Matri the right man to field? Would a 4-3-3 with Pepe not have given the squad something extra? Yet if there is one thing the critics have learned is that Allegri always knows best, systematically proving just how well he understands both his squad and the opponents they face. His side may not always put in dazzling displays, but when it comes to tactics, one really has very little to critique.

Without Carlos Tevez leading the squad and the Viola starting with determination, pressing with intensity and desperate to attack, things weren't looking good for the Bianconeri. However, the scrappy goal managed by Matri settled the nerves and knocked the wind out of Fiorentina's sails. Juventus may not have had their best men on the pitch, but the execution of their tactical philosophy still made the difference. The intricacy of their play and their understanding of each other's movement are the reasons why they can cope with a heavily rotated squad.

For this, one cannot help but indulge in cliched hyperbole again, as Allegri deserves a million compliments -- as do his fitness staff. There are many who believed in his tactical ideas but few who believed in his man management and ability to keep a squad moving and improving, especially when the pressure mounted and the injuries took place. In a match where old-fashioned physical strength and squad spirit would make the difference, Juventus brought that onto the pitch, yet maintained their elegant style of play to show that whoever dons the Bianconeri jersey is worthy and capable of carrying out the necessary instructions.

By drawing with Atletico Madrid to qualify out of their Champions League group and then beating Borussia Dortmund, Juventus have broken down previous psychological barriers. There is genuine confidence and belief in the squad, encouraging players to step up and produce the level of performance they once seemed too scared to provide. At times, certain players are still guilty of playing within themselves, and that was especially evident in the earlier part of the season, but in every game there is a slight improvement in a certain aspect of their game.

Even Matri, who scored the critical opening goal, understood what and how to operate to ensure the squad managed a second. Matri quickly played the ball to Morata, who controlled but had his shot parried by Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto. Matri then held back his run as Roberto Pereyra was in a better position to score, and did so firing a rocket past Neto. Aware of his surroundings throughout the move, he impressed with his understanding and willingness to play for the team.

Another player that this particular blog has never been fond of has grown leaps and bounds. Pereyra always had something special but poor at executing his strengths, yet slowly but surely he has developed well, is making better decisions and displays confidence and intelligence. His shots are now more accurate and he gives all he has on the pitch, forever running and thinking of ways he can make the difference. Yet regardless of how well anyone else performed, few can live up to Claudio Marchisio and the impact this midfielder makes on the squad. How delighted Allegri must be to have him fit and available.

The Old Lady can live without Paul Pogba; they can allow Andrea Pirlo to retire and let go of whomever else they worship, but Marchisio is Juventus in every sense of the word. A man of supreme intellect, physically and technically remarkable, he is the player the club produced, nurtured and whom they now enjoy. He is the only unsellable asset the Turin giants have simply because he's a product of their youth system and a man who can interpret any role perfectly well.

Facing men like Marchisio and a team of lions who were ready to cut off Mohamed Salah every time he had the ball at his feet and ready to break with pace, Fiorentina never truly threatened. Outmuscled and inaccurate, they could barely threaten on set pieces - usually one of their strength. Defensively they also lacked their usual organisation, visible in the first leg. Evidently, the match against Sampdoria over the weekend robbed them of their usual spark and they lost concentration in dangerous moments of the match, allowing Leonardo Bonucci a perfect opportunity to score the third of the night.

Every time Fiorentina attempted to move forward to create, Arturo Vidal or Stefano Sturaro would stop them in their tracks -- the latter eager to improve, the former a warrior. The Chilean has steadily improved as the season has progressed, yet it's clear his instincts are not what they were. He once read the game better, moved better but now can be looked upon as a liability at times, fouling when a little composure would better serve his team, even if his determination still impresses.

It's a shame that Juventus will be without Morata and Marchisio in the final. One can still not quite understand what the referee saw to punish the Spaniard so harshly with a red card, but if the Bianconeri could manage a 3-0 in Florence without their best players, they can survive a final without the suspended duo. Allegri really has what it takes to maximise the potential of those he has available and whether he brings home the trophy or not, he can be proud of his achievements.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Juventus 3-0 Fiorentina: Alessandro Matri
and Co. seal spot in Coppa Italia final

Alessandro Matri took his chance at leading the Juventus forward line, with Roberto Pereyra
and Leonardo Bonucci also grabbing goals as Juventus advanced to the final of the Coppa Italia.

Apr 8, 2014

First, a confession: I have never seen a Juventus captain lift the Coppa Italia. I've always told myself it's a second class trophy, the leftovers if you weren't fighting for the Scudetto or Champions League. But it's still 20 years for Juventus, the club that, along with Roma, has won the most (9), and whose supporters desperately want to end the "curse of the silver star."

Thanks to a 3-0 win at the Artemio Franchi on Tuesday night, Juventus will have a chance to finally get her 10th.

The Juventus starting lineup seemed to change by the hour as the game approached, with Carlos Tévez ruled out after feeling a twinge in the morning while Stephan Lichtsteiner pulled up in the pregame warmup. Alessandro Matri came into the lineup for Tévez, lining up alongside Álvaro Morata, with Simone Padoin deputizing at right back. Andrea Barzagli sat this one out as Massimiliano Allegri chose a back four, while Marco Storari came in for Gianluigi Buffon. Claudio Marchisio returned, with Arturo Vidal, Stefano Sturaro, and Roberto Pereyra completing the midfield diamond.

Fiorentina came into this game confident, having won 2-1 at the Juventus Stadium and unbeaten in nearly a month, but knowing that they were in for a thorough examination. While the first leg came on the heels of massive games against Borussia Dortmund and Roma, this time the focus was squarely on the Viola. For his part, Vincenzo Montella lined Fiorentina up in a 3-5-2 with the explosive Mohamed Salah partnering Mario Gómez on top.

The game had periods of end-to-end play, but Juventus were better able to control possession and create chances for their frontmen. Once Matri got the first goal, Juventus seemed on her way to the final, and when the final whistle blew the only complaints were for Marchisio and (especially) Morata, who picked up suspensions that will rule them out of the showpiece, set for June 7th in the Stadio Olimpico di Roma.


MATCH RECAP

Juve knew they had to score twice, and started firmly on the front foot. With Marchisio and Pereyra providing some of the directness and creativity that was missing against Empoli. The Argentine's cross nearly found Vidal for a great chance, but Marcos Alonso defended well.

Marchisio seemed to have a brief to play the ball forward, and it nearly cost Juventus just four minutes in. Joaquín read the pass and eventually the ball came to Salah. The Egyptian attacker weaved his way through five Juventus defenders and knocked the ball in, but the whistle had gone for a foul on Sturaro.

A long ball found Salah again, and after his two goals in the first leg, a long night looked in store for the Juventus center backs. Marcos Alonso blasted a shot over but soon the ball was at the other end, as the Old Lady wrestled back control. Pereyra then Padoin nearly found space in the box, but José Basanta just about got the ball before the man.

Marcos Alonso fired a shot-cross in from near the corner flag, but Storari had no problem. Leonardo Bonucci's long ball nearly found Vidal, but the midfielder's touch was poor. Marchisio and then Giorgio Chiellini tried to find Matri through on goal, but Fiorentina's defense again did enough. The through ball nearly came off for Morata when Marchisio's pass split the defense, but he was flagged offside.

Marchisio's knee looked fine as he created the first goal, winning the ball back and running the wing before a good cross found Matri. Pereyra's shot was blocked but it fell back to Mitra Matri, who calmly knocked in with the outside of his foot. 1-0 after 21 minutes, a vital first step to overturning the deficit.

Patrice Evra's clearance eventually fell to Pereyra and eventually Padoin's cross nearly created the second but Sturaro couldn't get good contact. It was end-to-end stuff, with Salah finding Matías Fernández in the box, but he was crowded out by Sturaro and company. Borja Valero played a cross in for Gómez, but Bonucci did well.

Pereyra played a nice pass in for Morata whose shot was blocked, before his back-post cross evaded Matri and Vidal. Joaquín beat Evra to get into the box, but could not put a ball across. Sturaro saw a yellow card for putting up a roadblock on Salah, but Juventus generally looked more comfortable against his pace and trickery than earlier in the game or most of the first leg. The Viola looked for Mario Gómez in the box, but Juve's defense did well against him in the air and on the ground.

A midfield free kick gave Mati Fernández a chance to whip in a fierce free kick that Gonzalo Rodriguez flicked past Storari, but the flag was up. Marchisio's long ball found Morata who tried to score from range but missed his kick. The Spanish striker had another go from range on 40', when Matri's control eventually fell to him, and this time struck it much better but it curled wide, with Juventus players claiming a deflection.

Morata did well to allow Juventus to counter but the cross was cut out with Sturaro down in the box, and then in the 44th Pereyra made it 2-0 after a very nice move. Bonucci played the long pass to Matri to set up Morata, whose strike was saved, but Neto could only parry as far as Pereyra, who netted his third Coppa Italia goal since coming to Turin. The 2-0 on the scoreboard would send Juventus through, but with 45 minutes to play against a dangerous Fiorentina nothing was settled.

The second half began with Fiorentina needing to score, and Salah tried an ambitious shot from range, but couldn't find the target. Morata nearly created a chance for Vidal after nutmegging his defender, but the cross was just too far ahead of the Chilean.

Mario Gómez fired wide after Mati Fernández dribbled his way into the box. Morata tried his third curler of the night, after sending Savić the wrong way, but again could not quite pick out the far corner. A loose ball fell to Salah at the edge of the box, briefly putting hearts in mouths, but he shot high and wide.

58 minutes in Matri nearly created another chance, as Bonucci found him well-positioned on the defensive line. The Italian played in Pereyra, but Neto made a fairly comfortable save. The corner came in, and it was 3-0! Marchisio's out-swinger was perfectly placed at the edge of the six-yard box, where Bonucci easily volleyed home. Chiellini played an important role as well, preventing two Viola defenders from attacking the near post.

Fiorentina needed three, and it was difficult to see where they would come from. A desperate clearance-turned-backpass from Chiellini nearly put Storari in trouble but the keeper reacted well. Marchisio was booked after protesting Rodríguez leading with his arm, forcing him to miss the final, with the defender also receiving a caution.

Ex-Juve man Alberto Aquilani had a chance after Evra's half-clearance, but his volley went wide with Storari rooted to the spot. Another long ball found Matri offside, and the Viola made their first substitution, bringing on Alessandro Diamanti for Joaquín. Fiorentina had a shout for a Chiellini handball, but he knew very little about it.

Matri nearly grabbed another in the 70th minute, with Marchisio setting up Vidal and Pereyra on the right flank. Pereyra put a good ball in to Matri, but Neto saved at his near post. Fernández went into the book after a hard foul on Vidal, but the Chilean international teammates shook hands and played on.

Pereyra was a constant nuisance down Fiorentina's left, providing an outlet on the counter and with the technical skills and workrate to keep the ball and bring the team up the field. Matri came off for Kingsley Coman on 75 minutes, pushing Morata up top.

Diamanti tried his luck from the top of the box but couldn't get it through, and then put a tempting cross in, but Fiorentina had only one man in the box and couldn't find him. Vidal saw yellow for a foul in the 78th minute, giving the Viola a dangerous free kick, but Fernández' effort was poor. Substitute Khouma Babacar fired over from outside the box as Fiorentina began to look more desperate.

On 83 minutes, Angelo Ogbonna was brought on to shore up the defense, with Rodríguez off for Nenad Tomović on the other side. Diamanti continued to threaten since his introduction, drawing a free kick in a very good shooting position from Evra. The ex-Guangzhou Evergrande player took it on himself, but Storari made the save look simple.

There was still room for a bit of controversy, as Morata saw a straight red for kicking out at Diamanti from behind. It was a silly, petulant foul; but of a kind that sees yellow more often than red. Coman was hooked off for Fernando Llorente, as one young striker's actions took minutes away from another.

Diamanti's free kick was again well-shaped, but Llorente headed clear. Marcos Alonso made his way into the box, but was muscled out of it by Ogbonna.

Mati Fernández forced a flying save from Storari in the 92nd minute, curling a sweet effort towards the far corner, and Fiorentina continued to press for at least a consolation goal. Fernández had another effort blocked away, the Diamanti sent in a dangerous free kick, but nobody could get a killer touch and the whistle blew, sending Juventus to her 15th Coppa Italia final.


LE PAGELLE

Storari: 7 Had long periods without making a save, but was very quick to react when needed and managed to keep a clean sheet.

Padoin: 6 A much better game than the last time he faced Salah, but nothing special.

Bonucci: 7.5 An excellent performance from the center back, who kept Gómez under wraps and played lots of accurate balls into the attack, including a pre-assist to Pereyra's goal. Took his chance very well on the volley.

Chiellini: 6.5 Started off slow but grew into the game, despite having a tricky assignment against Salah.

Evra: 6.5 Resilient in defense, he controlled Joaquín well but struggled to contribute much on the front foot.

Vidal: 7 Was a constant nuisance to Viola ballcarriers, chasing after anyone who dared bring the ball across midfield. Got in the box at times, but did not threaten the goalkeeper as he would have liked.

Marchisio: 7.5 His knee looked all right to me as he covered his defense and played a lot of aggressive forward passes, contributing to the buildup in Matri's first and delivering the corner assist for the second.

Sturaro: 6 Filling in on the left of midfield Sturaro's energy is fantastic, but he faded as the game wore on and could have done better in and around the Fiorentina area.

Pereyra: 7.5 One of the difference makers in the Juventus side, Pereyra took on a big creative role with Carlos Tévez out of the team, getting a goal for his efforts.

Morata: 5.5 A decent game linking up with Matri and the midfielders, and could easily have scored, but ruined it all by getting a stupid, if perhaps slightly harsh, red card.

Matri: 7 Did all that he could leading the line, holding up the ball pretty well and taking his chances when they came.

 

Substitutes

Coman: N/A The young Frenchman had a brief introduction and showed his speed and directness, but was soon taken off after Morata was sent off.

Ogbonna: 6 Put under some pressure late on, Ogbonna slotted into the right center back position and held his own.

Llorente: N/A Was on for a couple minutes at the end and won an important defensive header.


Coach

Allegri: 7 Chose the right team to put Fiorentina under pressure, and seemed to direct Marchisio and Bonucci into making more attacking passes, repeatedly splitting the Fiorentina defense. Could perhaps have taken Morata off earlier, but his moment of madness was hard to foresee.

[Socrates 8516]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

0 - 3

Alessandro Matri (21')
Roberto Pereyra (44')
Leonardo Bonucci (59')

Juventus win Aggregate 4 - 2

Coppa Italia semi-final
Tuesday, April 7th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Davide Massa

Matri: I want to give the coach a headache

The experienced attacker was over the moon with his goal against Fiorentina
and is determined to prove his worth whenever he gets a chance to play.

Apr 8, 2014

Juventus attacker Alessandro Matri has stressed that he will do everything within his powers to win over head coach Massimiliano Allegri in the wake of his goal in the Bianconeri's 3-0 Coppa Italia semi-final win over Fiorentina on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old has been struggling to secure regular first-team action since his winter move from Genoa, but was handed his first start at the Artemio Franchi, rewarding Allegri for the faith shown in him by scoring the opening that eventually set Juventus on their way to the final with a 4-2 aggregate win.

"I knew I’d be involved in the afternoon and when I get the opportunity to play I look to give the coach a selection headache," Matri was quoted as saying on the official Juventus website.

"It was the perfect night. I’m happy with my goal and for the fact that we’ll be playing an important final."

The attacker then went on to dismiss suggestions that his celebration against his former team was a lack of respect.

"I spent a long time not celebrating last year. I don’t think it was a lack of respect.

"A goal is a goal and only a striker understands the importance of finding the back of the net."

[Socrates 8516]

Midweek Coppa final?

Apr 9, 2014

It’s reported that the Coppa Italia final would be moved to a midweek should Juventus make the Champions League final.

The Bianconeri face Monaco in the Quarter Finals of the competition, and have also reached the final of the cup, where they will face Lazio.

The final of the Coppa is scheduled for June 7 in Rome, but the Champions League final will be held the night before in Berlin.

According to Corriere dello Sport, should the Old Lady reach the showpiece in Germany, the cup final will take place on May 20, a Wednesday.

The game cannot be played later than intended, because the Copa America gets underway on June 11.

Juventus would expect to send the likes of Chilean Arturo Vidal and Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez to the tournement, while Lazio could lose Brazil’s Felipe Anderson and Lucas Biglia of Argentina.