Dusan Vlahovic shot Juventus to the Italian Cup with the one objective in Wednesday’s closing in opposition to Atalanta who had been denied a primary trophy in six a long time. Serbia striker Vlahovic’s fourth-minute strike was sufficient for Juve to say the cup for the fifteenth time in a largely uninspiring closing in Rome. Massimiliano Allegri’s aspect had gained simply three matches because the finish of January coming into the ultimate however pissed off Atalanta from the second Vlahovic, who additionally had a objective disallowed for offside within the second half, netted the one objective of the sport.
Wednesday’s win ended a three-year trophy drought for Juventus, Italy’s most profitable and widely-supported membership who’ve been overshadowed by the Milan golf equipment and Napoli in latest seasons.
Poor performances this season have led to hypothesis that Allegri, who was despatched off late on, can be sacked in the summertime, and he hinted that his second spell as Juve coach is about to come back to an finish.
“If I am gone subsequent season, as a result of I’ve already been sacked within the media, we’re within the Champions League and have gained a trophy,” mentioned Allegri to Mediaset.
“We have accomplished the whole lot we had been alleged to do, get into the Champions League and attain a closing, the boys did very well to win it.”
Atalanta had been fancied to win their first main honour since profitable the cup in 1963 after a superb season for the historically provincial membership.
Nonetheless Gian Piero Gasperini’s workforce could not discover a manner by means of a brilliantly organised Juventus defence which stopped attack-minded Atalanta from having a single shot heading in the right direction.
The closest Atalanta got here to levelling was when Ademola Lookman thumped a shot off the bottom of the put up with 10 minutes remaining.
Atalanta now flip their attentions to sealing Champions League soccer by means of Serie A and subsequent week’s Europa League closing.
The Bergamo membership, who’re fifth in Italy’s prime flight, face Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin of their first ever European closing.
“We had been up in opposition to a great workforce who went in entrance straight manner and defended very nicely. I do not suppose we performed badly… they did not do any greater than we did,” mentioned Gasperini.
Allegri sent-off
With followers anticipating the Atalanta present Vlahovic put himself ahead as chief occasion pooper when he rushed by means of to gather Andrea Cambiaso’s go and smash dwelling his 18th objective of the season.
Vlahovic has been profligate at occasions this season however his emphatic end allowed Allegri to play the sport he loves finest, packing the defence and rebuffing Atalanta’s assaults.
Little or no occurred within the first half after he scored, largely because of Juve’s insistence that nothing occur.
Ademola Lookman went shut with a deflected shot 5 minutes after the break however it was Vlahovic who went near doubling Juve’s lead within the sixty fifth minute.
The 24-year-old was fed by Federico Chiesa after which skipped previous two defenders earlier than his close-range end was stopped by a mixture of Marten de Roon and goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi.
Vlahovic then thought he had made certain of the cup for Juve with 17 minutes remaining, once more assembly a Cambiaso ball to look in an ideal header, just for the objective to be dominated out for offside.
Lookman then thwacked his effort off the woodwork and shortly after Juve midfielder Fabio Miretti rattled the crossbar in one of many sport’s few moments of real drama.
The match completed with under-pressure Allegri despatched off after the coach utterly misplaced his head with referee Fabio Maresca when a foul on Danilo wasn’t instantly given within the space as Atalanta pushed for an equaliser.
Allegri was enraged to the purpose that he threw his jacket and tie to the ground earlier than ranting at officers pitchside, as Juve administrators tried to tug him away, earlier than he returned absolutely dressed to have a good time cup glory.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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