Juventus Alarmed by Loss to Hellas Verona Ahead of Coppa Italia Final

As Hellas Verona prepared to host Juventus on Sunday evening, almost everything appeared to favour the visitors.

Statistics revealed that, having conceded just 18 goals prior to this encounter, the Bianconeri boasted Serie A's meanest defence, while their opponents had netted a league-low 30 times this season.

Both in terms of recent outings and from a historical perspective, the form guide also provided little comfort as Juventus—who were confirmed as champions last week—had won 25 of their previous 26 matches in 2015/16 and last lost an away game with the Gialloblu back in April 2000.

While the Old Lady had visited Verona just five times in those intervening years, the host side sat bottom of the table, long since resigned to the fact they will be playing their football in Serie B next term.

It seemed there was little chance of an upset, yet that is exactly what transpired as a dismal performance from Juventus handed the hosts a memorable 2-1 victory, with the final game of Luca Toni's career ending in memorable fashion for the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner.

Opening the scoring with a well-taken penalty, Toni—having already announced his intention to retire—told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) that it was "a magical night," but it was one that handed his former side a valuable lesson.

Statistics from WhoScored.com show Juventus enjoyed more possession (60.3 percent), completed more passes (451 compared to Hellas' 275) and took more shots (16 to 12), but it was their opponents who seemed far more assured and confident as the game progressed.

Their status as champions for a fifth consecutive season may have given them a reason to lower their intensity, but defender Andrea Barzagli expressed concerns when he spoke to JTV (h/t Juventus.com) after the final whistle:

"

We played sloppily today and our approach was wrong. Losing is never easy to take especially when you are as accustomed to winning as we are. That said, tonight’s loss may be good for us and give us a wake-up call ahead of the last two matches of the season; when you win the Scudetto with a handful of games to play, these lapses in concentration can always happen. 

We’ll put this behind us and make sure we train well and prepare as best we can for the Coppa Italia final.

"

Indeed, it is the thought of that impending clash with AC Milan in the showpiece clash that lends importance to this performance, the Bianconeri need to give a much better account of themselves in Rome on May 21.

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There were a number of reasons for the disjointed display, with a glance at the starting XI highlighting many of them.

Juventus were missing four players—Hernanes, Paul Pogba, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Mario Mandzukic—to suspension, while Martin Caceres, Claudio Marchisio, Alvaro Morata and Sami Khedira were all out injured.

Yet even as Gigi Buffon and Patrice Evra rested and with Giorgio Chiellini only fit enough to take a place on the bench, coach Massimiliano Allegri was still in no mood for excuses during his own post-match interviews.

“No, this defeat is not acceptable and it shouldn’t have been on the cards except for our attitude,” he told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). “It wasn’t a lack of hunger, it was a lack of concentration and focus. We made many technical errors, gave the ball away often and weren’t cohesive."

“A slip-up is only valuable if it makes the team learn from its mistakes,” Allegri continued, going on to wonder if he had allowed the players to enjoy their success too much during the build-up to their outing at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.

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“Enough celebrating now,” the former Milan and Sassuolo boss demanded in that same interview. “We’ve got to get our heads in the game, otherwise we risk going into the final without the right attitude.”

Getting many of those absent first-team regulars back in action before next week's fixture against Sampdoria will help, but it is that sharpness Allegri will most want to see before their last outing of the campaign.

The chance to make history as the only Italian team to win a league-and-cup double in consecutive seasons awaits, but only if Juventus learn the lesson handed to them in Verona and play to the best of their abilities every time they step onto the field.