Juventus win Coppa Italia to keep treble dream alive

ByEurosport

Updated 17/05/2017 at 21:58 GMT

Juventus beat Lazio to win a third successive Italian Cup final as goals from Dani Alves and Leonardo Bonucci kept them on course for a treble this season with a 2-0 victory in the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.

The Turin side, who are on the verge of winning a sixth successive Serie A championship before facing Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Cardiff on June 3, won the domestic cup for a record 12th time.

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"We have to compliment the lads for a great game, an extraordinary first half and Lazio deserve compliments for their entire campaign,” manager Massimiliano Allegri told Rai Sport.

The Bianconeri had lost 3-1 in this stadium on Sunday evening against Roma, postponing the Scudetto.

“Juve made up for Sunday’s inattentive performance. Now we have another important game against Crotone to finish off the title.

“The first half had a very high tempo and we made the most of our chances, so we did well defending in the second half.”

Dani Alves, Dybala - Juventus v Lazio - Coppa Italia 2017

Image credit: Getty Images

Dani Alves scored another decisive goal, his third in the last five games, but Allegri wouldn’t hear of praising a single man.

“I think it’s disrespectful to talk about just one player after a night like this. If we won the Coppa Italia, it’s thanks to all the players in the squad who got us here.

“It’ll be tough against Crotone, we need one victory and on Sunday it’ll be decisive match of the season, so we need all our fans there. We have to play with the same determination we showed tonight.”

Juventus, who beat Lazio in the final two years ago, settled the match in the opening 25 minutes with Alves putting them ahead in the 12th from a long, high cross by fellow Brazilian Alex Sandro.

The right back's volley was not as sweet as his opening goal in the Champions League semi-final second leg win over Monaco, but it proved just as effective, bouncing awkwardly on its way past goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha and inside the far post.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and players celebrate winning the Italian Cup.

Image credit: Eurosport

Lazio, who had hit the post in the sixth minute through striker Balde Keita, conceded a soft second goal 13 minutes later when Alex Sandro flicked on Paulo Dybala's corner and Bonucci nipped into the six-yard box to knock the ball in.

Lazio, who share the Olympic Stadium with AS Roma as a home ground in Serie A, made a better start to the second half and substitute Felipe Anderson's low shot brought a good save from Gianluigi Buffon's understudy Neto.

Neto then clawed a Ciro Immobile header off the line after Gonzalo Higuain had been involved in two chances for Juventus that went begging.

Additional reporting from Football Italia - the ultimate website for English-speaking fans of Italian football.

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