Goals: Juventus—Chiellini 11’; Lazio—Radu 4’
A terrific start for @officialSSLazio! A sweet header by Stefan Radu! #beINCoppaItalia #JuveLazio https://t.co/8c3B94TjMq
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 20, 2015
Recap: It took 120 minutes, but Juventus were able to defeat Lazio 2-1 on Wednesday.
Only four minutes were needed for Lazio to capture a 1-0 lead. A superb header from Stefan Radu trickled past the reach of Marco Storari. Juventus would respond with a quality set-piece of their own just seven minutes later. The excitement dissipated as the first half came to a close, and remained to be the case for the final 45 minutes. Chances were few and far between, forcing the match to extra time.
It was there Alessandro Matri would not be denied, sealing the 2-1 victory.
.@Ale_Matri puts it home after a great ball from @Pirlo_official but it's waved off for offside. #beINCoppaItalia https://t.co/A2uD3kS4k5
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 20, 2015
Key Moment: Matri had the match-winner for Juventus in the 87th minute, which would’ve prevented the match from proceeding to extracurriculars; however, it was incorrectly ruled offside, for the studs of Stefan de Vrij’s cleat kept Matri level.
Man of the Match: Chiellini was a stalwart defender for Juventus, providing the equalizer and winning 100 percent of his duels.
It's all LEVEL! @chiellini heads @pirlo_official free kick in! #beINCoppaItalia #JuveLazio https://t.co/CXg86QZ5PI
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 20, 2015
Lesson Learned: Paul Pogba is far from being match fit and is yet to find the form that defined him as a player. The 22-year-old was subbed off in the 78th minute in favor of Roberto Pereyra, providing zero influence on the match. Zero key passes and take-ons were coupled by three dispossessions and four unsuccessful touches. That’s zero influence on the attack and seven turnovers for one of the game’s greatest. With the Champions League final still two weeks away, however, there will be ample time for him to do so. But manager Massimiliano Allegri must risk potential injury in favor of minutes.
Up Next: Both clubs return to league action, with Juventus hosting Napoli on May 23 and Lazio battling AS Roma in the Derby della Capitale on May 25.
ITS IN! @Ale_Matri makes it count for @Juventusfc! The Coppa is near! #beINCoppaItalia #JuveLazio https://t.co/zgTCyQLnrq
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) May 20, 2015
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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