Enter Casale, Lazio lose

2023-24 Season Coppa Italia, Semi-final, First Leg Tuesday, April 2, 2024

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Juventus Stadium, Turin

Juventus -Lazio 2-0

With two goals in the second half Juventus book tickets for the final

Official SS Lazio photo

The team

Predictably Igor Tudor sent in Matias Vecino, Matteo Guendouzi, Ciro Immobile and Luis Alberto from the beginning for the Coppa Italia semi-final against Juventus. With Luca Pellegrini and Danilo Cataldi suspended, there was not much else he could do at least as far as the midfield was concerned. At the back, Patric was chosen instead of Nicolò Casale.

First half

In the 11th minute penalty for Juventus. Vecino tried to clear the box but did not notice the sudden appearance of Andrea Cambiaso in front of him as he was kicking. But Cambiaso was offside so no penalty. After just 14 minutes Mattia Zaccagni had to be substituted. Quite a serious injury as he could be out for at least a month. In came Gustav Isaksen.

Not a lot happened in the first half. The Biancocelesti were aggressive just like in the game a few days earlier, and Juventus could not seem to find the right key to unlock the match. In the 40th minute, Patric crossed from the right. Luis Alberto tried a header and what looked like something innocuous was underestimated by Mattia Perin and the ball hit the crossbar. In injury time Adrien Rabiot tried a volley from outside the box, comfortably saved by Christos Mandas.

Second half

In the interval Nicolò Casale substituted Patric, still not 100% following a lengthy injury. And the quality of the Lazio defence suffered considerably.

In the 50th minute Cambiaso dribbled past Felipe Anderson in the Juve half and noticed a massive hole in the middle of the Biancoceleste defence. Vecino was not where he should have been and Casale was way too far forward. Federico Chiesa was completely alone, ball in the gap for him, 1-0 for Juventus.

At this point Lazio, as they have done so many times during the course of the current season, switched off and Juve doubled the score. In the 64th minute Weston McKennie to Dusan Vlahovic on the right, Casale let him do as he pleased, low left footer, Juventus 2 Lazio 0.

Juventus tried to put the semi-final to bed but a Federico Gatti header in the 70th minute was only just wide and a Timothy Weah opportunity in the 85th minute was saved by Mandas.

Going to be really difficult for Lazio to overcome the deficit in the second leg.

Who played for Juventus

Perin, Gatti, Bremer, Danilo, Cambiaso (80' Weah), McKennie (89' Alcaraz), Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic (89' Alex Sandro), Chiesa (80' Yildiz), Vlahovic (86' Kean).

Substitutes: Szczęsny, Pinsoglio, De Sciglio, Iling-Junior, Miretti, Rugani, Embalo, Nicolussi Caviglia.

Manager: Allegri.

Who played for Lazio

Mandas, Patric (46' Casale), Romagnoli, Gila (80' Hysaj), Marusic, Guendouzi, Vecino, Zaccagni (14' Isaksen), Felipe Anderson, Luis Alberto (72' Kamada), Immobile (72' Castellanos). Substitutes: Sepe, Renzetti, Cataldi.

Manager: Tudor

Referee: Massa

Goals: 50’ Chiesa, 64’ Vlahovic

Bookings: Gatti (J), Weah (J)