Juventus vs. AC Milan: Winners and Losers from Coppa Italia Final
The Italian football calendar came to a close on Saturday with the final of the Coppa Italia at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Defending Coppa champions and five-time defending Serie A champions Juventus were looking to make history. No team had ever scored a league-cup double two years in a row, but that's what they were looking to do as they lined up against AC Milan.
The Rossoneri had endured yet another difficult season, with the unexpected dismissal of coach Sinisa Mihajlovic derailing the season in the final six weeks. His replacement, Cristian Brocchi, had overseen a disastrous six-game run-in that saw Milan drop points to the three teams in the relegation zone and lose sixth place in the season's last weeks to tiny upstarts Sassuolo.
With sixth no longer an option, Milan needed to win this game in order to qualify for Europe for the first time in three years.
Their struggles in the last month saw them arrive at this match as heavy underdogs, but they surprised everyone by playing well. Without both Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira, Juve's midfield failed to impose themselves the way they were accustomed to, and the Rossoneri managed take the upper hand through much of the match.
But in the end, Juve's vaunted defense held, and a fantastic one-touch finish by Alvaro Morata, in what may have been his final game for the Bianconeri, sealed a historic victory.
Who were the winners and losers of the last Italian game of the year? Let's take a closer look.
Winner: Alvaro Morata
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If this is how Morata signs off as a Juventus player, this was one heck of a way to do it.
Saved as the last sub against tired legs, Morata checked in in the 108th minute. Two minutes later, he sealed Juventus' 11th Coppa Italia title.
Charging down the field on the counter-attack, Morata was wide open for a wonderful cross from fellow sub Juan Cuadrado. A clinical volley easily put the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the goal.
The Spaniard didn't switch off afterward either, earning a crucial foul in the Milan half to keep the clock running and the ball with the Bianconeri.
Morata's future depends on Real Madrid, but after the body of work he's put in the last two years, he'll have a permanent place in Bianconeri lore.
Loser: Hernanes
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With Marchisio unavailable until at least November, Allegri has been forced to find an option to run his midfield from the register position. Through much of the time since Marchisio was sidelined, that man has been Hernanes.
The 30-year-old Brazilian has been adequate in deputizing at regista since Il Principino tore his ACL against Palermo last month, but on Saturday, he totally overwhelmed in midfield. He couldn’t dictate the pace, allowing Milan to take hold of the game to a degree that they hardly showed themselves capable of through much of the season.
A better performance from him would have allowed the Bianconeri to be crisper in their ball movement and much dominant in possession.
Juve's biggest struggles this season have come when their midfield failed to function as an effective unit. The regista is the linchpin of that unit, and Hernanes' ineffective play in this game was one of the key catalysts in the struggles the champions endured.
Finally removed for Morata 13 minutes from the end of extra time, it's time to question whether Hernanes will be staying in Turin next year.
Winner: Juraj Kucka
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Juraj Kucka was an absolute force of nature on Saturday.
Playing a box-to-box midfield role in Brocchi’s new-look 4-3-3, the Slovakian was everywhere in the first hour. His relentless high pressure forced the Bianconeri into repeated errors in passing and possession.
He moved the ball well, but the kind of pass required to unlock a defense like the one Juventus possesses is beyond what he is as a player. But his surging runs forward and constant harassment of the Bianconeri both in midfield and in advanced positions gave Milan a fighting chance.
His impact waned as the clock advance, but his impact at the beginning was unquestionable. Without him, Milan wouldn't have been able to impose themselves the way they did in the game's early stages.
Loser: Carlos Bacca
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Carlos Bacca has had a great season for Milan, but he's disappeared recently in some of Milan's biggest games.
He was a negligible force in both of Milan's games against Juve, and he endured a dry spell in March and April that saw him score only twice in 10 games—a run that coincided exactly with the troubles that cost Mihajlovic his job.
According to WhoScored.com, Bacca only touched the ball 23 times in 120 minutes of play, plus stoppage time. By comparison, goalkeeper Donnarumma had nearly three times as many.
Bacca fired two shots, neither of them on target, and was generally a non-factor in the game that Milan needed in order to qualify for Europe for the first time in three seasons.
Bacca was unquestionably a good transfer buy, but when the team needed him most, he wasn't able to show up.
Winner: Giorgio Chiellini
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Giorgio Chiellini was injured so much this season that talk started circling of a genuine decline for the 31-year-old Juventus vice-captain.
Much like Gianluigi Buffon does whenever such talk crops up about him, Chiellini has put such talk to bed over the last two weeks.
Last week in Juve’s trophy-day romp against Sampdoria, he was everywhere in defense and scored a screamer of a goal in the second half. On Saturday, he never put a foot wrong. Always there to interdict a pass attempt or snuff out a surging counter-attack, Chiellini showed everyone watching this final just how much he has left in the tank.
According to WhoScored.com, he made only one tackle, but he had a game-high six interceptions and nine clearances.
If he can stay healthy, he’ll be a force for years to come.
