The Bianconeri advance into the Coppa Italia semi-finals with a 4-0 win over SPAL. Following Inter’s win against AC Milan, Juve will once again face off with the Nerazzurri. With a tight schedule ahead, Pirlo completely rested the likes of Ronaldo and Bentancur and excluded them from the squad list. Many youngsters got a chance on the pitch as well.
STARTING XI
4-4-2
#77- Buffon
#37- Dragusin
#4- De Ligt
#28- Demiral
#38- Frabotta
#33- Bernardeschi
#41- Fagioli
#25- Rabiot
#8- Ramsey
#9- Morata
#44- Kulusevski
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Bianconeri started off steady, looking for an early goal when Morata’s shot for the corner was saved by the goalkeeper. However, it didn’t take long for Juve to take the lead. Rabiot made a run all the way into the box but was fouled. The referee first books him for diving, but a VAR check overturns the call and a penalty is awarded. Morata steps up for the spot-kick, sends the goalkeeper the wrong way, and calmly finds the back of the net.
Frabotta, the young player who Pirlo has played a couple of times in the past few months, scores his first goal! At the 33rd minute, Kulusevski dribbles and keeps possession from the opponent defenders twice, passes toward the edge of the box, and Frabotta fires the ball in the net with a strong shot. SPAL’s limited chances in the rest of the first half don’t threaten Buffon too much, and the Bianconeri lead 2-0 at halftime.
The second half’s pace was slower, as Juventus continue to steadily defend. Di Pardo was subbed on for Bernardeschi for an injury. Chiesa later enters for Morata, and Alex Sandro makes a return after his recent recovery from COVID-19. SPAL get a couple of chances, but it was ultimately the Bianconeri that widened the scoreline once more. Chiesa’s dribbling does a great job of attracting all of the opponent’s defense, which perfectly set up a pass to and a goal from Kulusevski. Juve lead 3-0.
The remainder of the match was not too eventful, but Chiesa manages to add another goal to his tally. Da Graca is the one that originally attempts to score but his shot is blocked. Chiesa takes the chance from the youngster, dribbles past the goalkeeper, and walks the ball into the net. The final whistle is blown, and Juve advance into the semi-finals!
AFTER-MATCH THOUGHTS
Pirlo:
“Our goal was to go through and we did it against a team that is doing very well. We approached it with great attention, and we succeeded thanks to the right approach. Important matches await us, but we will only focus on the next match, that of Marassi against Sampdoria. The youngsters on the field? Juventus is the only club to have created a second team and I think it was a good choice, it would be important for other clubs to do the same.”
Frabotta:
“I am very happy for the victory and for my first goal. I've been looking for it for several matches and it was a very strong emotion that I will always carry with me. I dedicate it to my girlfriend and my family who have always supported me. I would also like to thank Coach Pirlo for the trust he has giving me, and it will be up to me to continue on this path.”
JUVENTINA'S THOUGHTS
Comfortable win that seemed easy, but must not be taken for granted. It is important to keep in mind that this team is far from complete- Pirlo decided (correctly) to rest many of our top players such as Ronaldo, Cuadrado, Bonucci, and Szczesny and to give the youth a chance instead. With players like Dragusin, Frabotta, Fagioli, and Di Pardo all getting at least 40 minutes of play-time, Juve seem to have a bright future ahead. Fagioli, though regularly playing in Serie C, was impressive as a midfielder. He has a good vision of the field and plays in a calm way which helps facilitate the pace on the field. Frabotta was great as well on the flank. Chiesa and Kulusevski, as always, gave the team that push to attack. The goal from Chiesa was a bit rough on Da Graca though, as he practically stole the youngster’s chance to score a late goal. In all, though lots of doubt has been thrown in Pirlo’s way, it seems that he is doing something new with Juventus and delivering on his promises. The team is playing more interesting football, and Pirlo is giving young players a chance more than any other recent manager has done. I have great trust in the team; this is a transition period after 9 years of dominating Italian football- it was bound to happen. Fino alla fine!!
