MY ACCOUNT
Massimiliano Allegri says he could not ask for any more from his Juventus players after they booked their Coppa Italia final spot with a 3-0 aggregate victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday.
The Bianconeri claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg last month, and Federico Bernardeschi doubled their advantage in the tie with a fine finish shortly after the half-hour mark in the return fixture.
Danilo added a second deep into stoppage time at the end of the game as Juve reached their 21st Coppa Italia final – at least five more than any other side in the competition’s history.
They will play Inter in the final at the Stadio Olimpico on May 11 after Simone Inzaghi’s side overcame Milan in their last-four tie.
Juve did not have it all their own way, with Fiorentina taking 17 shots and enjoying 68.3 per cent possession, but Allegri was pleased with how his side bounced back from the disappointing 1-1 draw with Bologna at the weekend.
“I could not ask for more from these players, as for the last four months it’s basically been the same players all the time. They’re giving it everything out there,” he told Mediaset.
“We should congratulate the lads, as reaching the final was an objective for the season. It had been a tough few days after the draw with Bologna, when we failed to make the most of many chances.
“Fiorentina are dangerous with their passing and pace if you give them a chance to run at you, but we did well to create those spaces in attack and defend well.
“This is football, we suffered and won. Those who came off the bench all did really well, we had a team spirit to reach this final.
“Now we must prepare for the next game in Serie A and try to recover some players.”
Allegri’s position as Juve boss has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, with some supporters unimpressed by the club’s failure to challenge for the Serie A title.
While Allegri shares that frustration, he says he has every intention of being in the dugout as they look to launch a title bid next season.
“Juventus must always challenge to win,” he added. “The thing that most disappoints me is losing the head-to-head with Inter, because that is the result that decided the league.
“Being five games from the end and not being in the Scudetto race does annoy me. It can be motivation for next season, we can learn from that experience and also realise that in football and life you can’t always win.”
Juve are next in action on Monday when they visit Sassuolo in Serie A.
