Lazio vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Coppa Italia
Last season the two came together for a thrilling final at the Stadio Olimpico, and two years before that the Biancocelesti prevented Juve from claiming a second consecutive berth in the final when a stoppage-time goal gave them a 3-2 aggregate win in the semi-final before going on to beat Roma for their sixth title.
Juve came in on the back of 10 consecutive victories in Serie A and a 4-0 obliteration of Torino in the last round. But not all of those wins were pretty. Sometimes the beautiful game can be downright dreary, and Wednesday's game certainly fell into that category.
Juve has needed some ugly goals to put together their winning streak, and Stephan Lichtsteiner's decider in this one was one of them. He casually came to tap a rebound into the net, only to see Lazio goalkeeper Etrit Berisha streak in at the last moment.
Berisha clawed the ball away, but not before referee Antonio Damato received the signal from the Olimpico's goal-line technology that the ball had crossed the line. It was the difference in a 1-0 game that set up a semi-final clash against Inter, ensuring extra iterations of the Derby d'Italia this year.
Who were the winners and losers in this drab midweek clash? Let's take a closer look to find out.
Winner: Juventus' Defense
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Juve is a team built on its defense. Since the Antonio Conte era began in 2011, they have been arguably the best defensive side in Europe. That reputation had been under challenge early this term when the back line became uncharacteristically leaky, but since Massimiliano Allegri returned to the 3-5-2 formation they have returned to form.
They showed that at the Olimpico, completely stifling Miroslav Klose, Antonio Candreva and the rest of Lazio's attack.
The trio of Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Martin Caceres prevented the capital club from even recording a shot on target. They covered excellently in the box, getting in front of any cross before it could cause trouble and hardly ever letting Lazio break.
There was but one hiccup. That came in the 13th minute, when Keita Balde Diao slipped past Caceres and raced into the box only to scuff a golden chance to take the lead. From that point on Juve had Lazio in a choke hold. Once Stephan Lichtsteiner opened the scoring, Juve did what they do best—protecting a one-goal lead, something they've turned into an art form.
The return to form of Juve's defense means bad news for the rest of Italy. If their back line turns into the immovable object that kept the likes Real Madrid at bay last year, it will be hard for anyone to score.
Loser: Alvaro Morata
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The long scoring drought for Alvaro Morata continues. He hasn't scored since back-to-back matches against Sevilla and Bologna at the end of September and beginning of October, and every game he plays without a goal intensifies the pressure on the young Spaniard.
As in the rest of his most recent appearances, Morata has found himself in good positions but was unable to find the last touch.
He did draw several fouls and bookings and was denied the opener in the 51st minute by a good piece of goalkeeping from Etrit Berisha, but he also showed some of his biggest flaws. He went down far too easily in the box in the 34th minute, a problem that has bugged him his entire Juve career.
Worse, though, is his lack of awareness on the ball. When he gets the ball at his feet he tends to put his head down and charge. That draws fouls and cards, yes, but in the 54th minute he could have released either Paul Pogba or Simone Zaza on either side of him with a well-placed pass. Instead he dribbled into a crowd, drawing the free kick but giving up the potential for more.
The goals will come for Morata. One moment can give him confidence, and then form will return in a wave. But right now he has the look of a man wondering what more he has to do.
Winner: Simone Zaza
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Zaza didn't manage to score on Wednesday, but his play was still exemplary.
With neither team doing much in attack, Zaza had his nose in almost all the big plays. He sent at least two teammates clear on goal. The first of those passes turned into the shot that Morata couldn't get past Berisha. The second came three minutes after Lichtsteiner's opener and saw Stefano Sturaro scuff his one-on-one with the Albanian well wide to the far post.
He was also the impetus of the game's lone goal. It was his shot—a screamer on the turn that nearly broke the goalpost in half—that rebounded to Lichtsteiner for what turned into a not-so-simple tap-in.
He also missed a few chances of his own, particularly in the 77th minute when he could have put the game to bed. But his movement and his distribution were excellent when it counted, and he tracked deep into his own half several times to supplement the team's defensive efforts.
Juve are doggedly hanging on to Zaza despite transfer rumors—rumors that Allegri put to bed in his prematch press conference (h/t Football Italia) by saying "Zaza won't leave, he'll stay at Juventus." If he continues to play well and Morata continues to struggle, we could see him jump the Spaniard in the pecking order before long.
Loser: Stefano Pioli
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Elimination from the Coppa was bad enough for embattled Lazio manager Stefano Pioli, but now he may have to face Sunday's game against Chievo with a depleted squad.
Pioli had two players carted off on Wednesday. The first was center back Mauricio, who came off just after the hour after appearing to injure his leg when stretching for a ball. Right before the end Lucas Biglia went down after a battle for possession and had to leave the field, leaving Lazio with 10 men and seeing the cart out again where he was being treated on the sideline.
Both players are important for this team. Both have played in 14 games in Serie A and Biglia has recorded three goals and two assists. Replacing them will be difficult for a team that's already in the depths this season.
Lauded as the Next Big Thing after taking Lazio to third place and the Coppa final a year ago, Pioli is now holding on to his job by a thread. If he can't right things soon, he'll be looking for new employment come the summer.
Winner: Massimiliano Allegri
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If there was one thing Max Allegri couldn't afford with a big match coming against Roma on Sunday, it was a game that went to extra time. Right behind that on the list was an injury.
He escaped Wednesday with neither.
Allegri will now have almost his entire squad at his disposal to face the Giallorossi, with only Mario Lemina, Roberto Pereyra and Andrea Barzagli missing in the trainer's room.
With a title dogfight on his hands and a game against a team that, two weeks into the reign of a new coach, is going to be far less predictable than it once was on tap, Allegri got just enough to win and avoided any negative side effects.
Loser: Miroslav Klose
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In years past, a duel between Chiellini and Miroslav Klose would have been mouthwatering. Now it's just sad.
The 37-year-old striker finally won his World Cup two summers ago, but with that the last spark may have left him. It was almost like the failure of his trademark back flip celebration in Germany's World Cup game against Ghana was a sign.
Since that tournament Klose has been a shell of himself. Rather than the dangerous penalty area presence we've always seen, the big German simply can't compete with defenders the like of Chiellini and Bonucci.
On Wednesday he was completely marked out of the game, and while that's not unusual for an opponent of Juve, it is for him. When the season ends, it may be time for Klose to call time as well.
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