07 May 2018
JUVE’S ROAD TO ROME
The Bianconeri will play in a record 18th TIM Cup Final when they take on Milan on Wednesday night in the Italian capital (20:45 CEST).
The Old Lady entered the competition in the Last 16 as they dispatched Genoa 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium. Paulo Dybala opened the scoring just before the end of the first half after some neat passing saw La Joya turn and find space, before unleashing a low drive into the back of the net. It was one Argentine to another 15 minutes from time, as Dybala played in Gonzalo Higuian and Pipita struck home to send Juve into the next round.
A Derby della Mole awaited the Bianconeri in the quarter-finals, however Torino were beaten by another 2-0 scoreline at the Aliianz. Douglas Costa crashed home a ricocheted Toro clearance on the volley after 15 minutes to give Juve the lead at the half. In the second period, Mario Mandzukic capitalised on a deflected through-pass to go in on goal, and the Croatian dinked the ball over the keeper to book Juve's passage into the semi-finals.
Juve took on Atalanta over two-legs in the semis, playing the first leg away in a foggy Bergamo. Higuain put Juve 1-0 up after just three minutes when he got on the end of Miralem Pjanic’s through ball and kept his cool to finish in style. At the other end Atalanta were awarded a penalty when Medhi Benatia was adjudged to have handled, however Gianluigi Buffon saved Papu Gomez’ spot kick to keep the Bianconeri’s lead intact heading into the return tie in Turin. In the second leg, Pjanic scored a penalty 15 minutes from time when Blaise Matuidi was fouled in the area to hand Juve a 2-0 win on aggregate.
HOW MILAN REACHED THE CAPITAL
La Diavola like the Bianconeri entered the competition at the Last 16 stage where they faced off against Hellas Verona. Milan advanced past the now-relegated Serie A side with a 3-0 win at the San Siro after goals from Suso, Alessio Romagnoli and Patrick Cutrone.
It was a quarter-final Milan derby as the Rossoneri faced off against city rivals, Inter. After a goalless 90 minutes, Patrick Cutrone was the hero in extra-time as he struck in the 104th minute to send them into the semis where they played last year’s TIM Cup Final opponents, Lazio.
Following two goalless draws both in Milan and then in Rome the tie went to penalties in the Stadio Olimpico, after four goals and two misses a-piece it came down to the seventh spot kick and Lazio’s Luiz Felipe missed, whilst Romagnoli converted to send Milan into the final.
PREVIOUS FINALS VS MILAN
The Bianconeri have faced Milan on four previous occasions in the TIM Cup Final, winning three of them. The first meeting was back in 1942, where the teams drew 1-1 in the first leg at the Civica Arena in Milan, after Milan’s Gino Cappello cancelled out Savino Bellini’s goal late on. The second leg proved to be a much more one-side affair, as Juve romped to a 4-1 win courtesy of Albanian forward, Riza Lushta’s hat-trick and a Vittorio Sentimenti penalty, with Milan’s consolation coming through Aldo Boffi. It was the Bianconeri’s second Coppa Italia triumph.
The Coppa Italia switched to a single final format in the 1971-72 season and Juve played Milan at the Stadio Olimpico in 1973. Roberto Bettega gave the Old Lady the lead in the 15th minute with a deflected strike, before Milan tied the game in the 50th through a Romeo Benetti penalty. The match came down to spotkicks with Milan triumphing 5-2 to lift the cup in Rome.
The two sides wouldn’t meet again until the 1990 final, which again switched back to two-legged finals. A 0-0 draw in Turin was followed up 0-1 away win in the San Siro, as defender Roberto Galia getting on the end of a fantastic through-ball from Giancarlo Marocchi to score the all-important goal.
Juve’s most recent meeting against Milan came only two years ago in 2016, the two sides couldn’t be separated after a tough and tiring 90 minutes, so extra-time beckoned. In the 108th minute Massimiliano Allegri sent on Alvaro Morata for Hernanes, and just two minutes later, the Spaniard hooked home Juan Cuadrado’s cross from the right to score the match-winner with his first touch, as Juve triumphed 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico.
#JUVEMILAN CUP FINAL MATCH STATS
- Juventus have won the TIM Cup 12 times, more than any other side.
- The last Juventus player to score twice in a Coppa Italia final was Michel Platini in 1983, whilst Serginho is the only player to have done it for Milan in 2003.
- 18 out of 19 Milan Italian cup final goals have come in the second half.
- In 24 Coppa Italia meetings between the two sides, Juventus have won 10, drawn seven and lost seven.
- Juve are unbeaten in their last 11 TIM Cup matches against the Rossoneri.
- The Bianconeri have found the back of the net in 14 of their last 15 games against Milan in all competitions.
- Both Juventus and Milan kept cleansheets in all of their TIM Cup matches en-route to the final.
- Gonzalo Higuain has five goals in his last six Coppa Italia matches.
- Dybala has three goals and two assists against Milan in his last four in all competitions.
- Nikola Kalinic has three in his last six vs Juve.
