Following a disappointing defeat last weekend, Pirlo lifts his first trophy with Juventus after a 2-0 win over Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana final. The Bianconeri have their first title of the season, Forza Juve! Earlier that day, Cuadrado tested negative for Covid-19, meaning that he is officially recovered. He was then immediately included in the starting XI for this final.
STARTING XI
4-4-2
#1- Szczesny
#16- Cuadrado
#19- Bonucci
#3- Chiellini
#13- Danilo
#22- Chiesa
#5- Arthur
#30- Bentancur
#14- McKennie
#44- Kulusevski
#7- Ronaldo
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
The first half of the match was uninspiring, with both sides having a couple of chances to score but neither found the back of the net. Notably, however, Szczesny makes an amazing save from a close-distance shot at the 28th minute, denying Napoli an early goal.
At half-time, Chiesa was subbed off for Bernardeschi, and the Bianconeri begin to take better control of the play on-field. Less than a minute into the second half, Bernardeschi gets a chance to make it 1-0 for Juve but could not find proper contact and the ball is saved by the opponent goalkeeper.
Ronaldo scores the opening goal! Bernardeschi’s corner takes a couple deflections, and eventually reaches an unmarked Ronaldo. CR7 doesn’t miss these chances, and he puts the Bianconeri in front.
In the 80th minute, McKennie attempts to clear the ball but catches Mertens in the process, giving Napoli a late chance to level through a penalty. However, Insigne sends the ball wide, and Juve are still in front.
With five added minutes on the clock, Napoli only need one goal to have a chance at the cup. At the 94th minute, Lozano comes close, but the Juve goalkeeper makes yet another miracle save. Szczesny is able to keep the ball out with his trailing feet.
In the final minute of the match, Napoli get a chance for a corner that sees almost the entire team in Juve’s end of the field. However, the possession once again returns to the Bianconeri and the team launches a superb counterattack. Morata passes to Cuadrado, he makes a high-speed sprint down the middle of the field, passes back to Morata, and the #9 seals the deal with a clean finish. Juve are sure to have won the cup now, and the entire team celebrates!
AFTER-MATCH THOUGHTS
Pirlo:
“It’s a very happy moment and lifting my first trophy as a coach makes it even better. It was important to get back to winning ways after the defeat by Inter. We had to showcase our pride and when you take to the pitch with that determination, you can do well. We needed this sort of team performance in which the players really dug in. Cuadrado worked hard at home and coped well until the 95th minute. I must congratulate him because not everyone could be out for two weeks and then produce a display like that in a final.”
Ronaldo:
“It was a tough game and the pitch was difficult, but the team stayed focused and we’ve won an important trophy which will give us a confidence boost. We’re very pleased. Now we must use that to win our upcoming fixtures. As for the Scudetto, it’ll be a difficult race, but we’ll be in it.”
Chiellini:
“We put in a top performance. We controlled the game, did well and were also a bit lucky, but we deserved the victory and can enjoy winning this trophy, which has to be a starting point because we still have so much to achieve. We’re all giving everything. Winning a trophy for the tenth year in a row is something to be proud of and we want to keep winning and improving… It was the first final for so many of the lads and the joy on their faces is quite something.”
JUVENTINA'S THOUGHTS
Grande Juve! This was not the most exciting of matches, but the team remained solid throughout and fully deserved this win and trophy. Especially in the second half, Juve controlled the field well and we saw some great individual performances as well. Even though Ronaldo won the official MOTM title and indeed he performed well, other players must be acknowledged as well. For one, Szczesny is my personal MOTM, as he made two crucial, difficult saves that could’ve seen Napoli level and send the teams into added-time. The Bianconeri’s goalkeeper has time and time again proven his world-class ability, and is truly an underrated player. Cuadrado’s display was especially impressive, as he had just returned two weeks after being diagnosed with Covid-19. He returned in full-force, playing the entire 95 minutes on the pitch. Not only was he prolific on his side of the pitch, the goal in the final minutes perfectly encapsulated why we have missed him. His burst of speed and grit allowed the Bianconeri to really end the game with a convincing win. Arthur and Bernardeschi had a good performance as well. It was really great to see Pirlo be excited with his team about their first trophy together. This is also the first trophy ever for players like McKennie, who has been perhaps the best midfielder for Juve this season. Forza Juve, let’s keep on winning.
MOTM: Szczesny
