One year ago, the Coppa Italia Final between Juventus and Napoli was the first competitive game in Italy after the peak of the COVID pandemic. It was not the first game played behind closed doors, as both Juventus-Inter and Sassuolo-Brescia played without a crowd before the season was suspended in March.
The Coppa Italia Final was the first football game with more than 1,000 fans at the stadium this time around.
The stadium in Reggio Emilia welcomed 4,300 supporters, but the noise they made for the entire game would make you think the Mapei was sold out.
One year ago, the Coppa Italia Final between Juventus and Napoli was the first competitive game in Italy after the peak of the COVID pandemic. It was not the first game played behind closed doors, as both Juventus-Inter and Sassuolo-Brescia played without a crowd before the season was suspended in March.
The Coppa Italia Final was the first football game with more than 1,000 fans at the stadium this time around.
The stadium in Reggio Emilia welcomed 4,300 supporters, but the noise they made for the entire game would make you think the Mapei was sold out.
It was thrilling and exciting and moving to see all these people gathered for the sport we love the most.
Atalanta fans arrived hoping to see their team win the first trophy since 1963, the only Coppa Italia in their history.
Gian Piero Gasperini’s side can finish Serie A runners-up if they beat Milan on Sunday, which is something Juventus hope will happen too. A victory for the Old Lady away to Bologna would allow them to leapfrog the Rossoneri and snatch a top four finish, if Stefano Pioli’s side fails to win in Bergamo. But this is another story.
The Mapei Stadium clash saw an Atalanta academy graduate – Dejan Kulusevski – create all sort of troubles for his former club.
He first broke the deadlock with a curling effort from inside the box and then assisted Federico Chiesa, who scored the winner in the second half.
Kulusevski had only played three games with La Dea before joining Parma on loan. Six months at the Ennio Tardini were enough for Juve, who signed him in January 2020 for €44m.
Gasperini showed little regret when the Swede officially signed with the Bianconeri a year and a half ago.
“He would not play in this Atalanta side,” he said. And he was right. La Dea have earned a Champions League spot for the third season in a row and were able to cash in on a player they had never used. It had been a great deal, but tonight Kulusevski won the game for the Old Lady against Le Dea although Chiesa – the match-winner – was named MVP by the Lega Calcio.
Atalanta were not necessarily the favourites on the eve of the game, but they seemed more in shape than the Bianconeri, who had managed a controversial 3-2 win over Inter on Saturday and still sit fifth in the table ahead of the last game of the season.
“Atalanta can’t be the favourite against Juventus,” said Gasperini on Tuesday. And once again, he was right.
The former coach of Juve’s youth teams brought elite sport to Bergamo, with La Dea playing the best brand of football in Italy over the last few seasons.
However, this was the second Coppa Italia Final lost by Gasperini’s side after the one of 2019, when they had eliminated Juventus in the quarter-finals but eventually fell in the Final against Lazio.
If there’s a shortcoming in Gasperini’s playing style, it’s that his Atalanta side seems to have the situation under control, but there’s always something missing in big games.
Of course, they don’t have the same quality as Juventus or Real Madrid, and reaching a top four finish for the third season in a row is worth as much as a Scudetto for a club like them who were accustomed to going up and down from Serie A to Serie B until a few years ago.
However, a title would crown Gasperini’s incredible run as Atalanta coach, and in a way, it’s a pity they haven’t been able to achieve that yet. There must at the same time be a reason if they haven’t done it.
We have already mentioned the quality of their players, which is not the same as the top clubs in Italy and Europe. Also, Gasperini’s side concedes too many goals and are unable to kill off the game when they have a chance.
When you have an opportunity, you must make the most of it. That’s what differentiates a top player and a good player. A top club and a good club.
Gasperini is building something extraordinary at Atalanta and the feeling is that La Dea are only missing a tiny step to finally lift a trophy.
Juventus have been the opposite over the last few seasons. A team where individualities are often stronger than the collective. That was once again proved at the Mapei Stadium where Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t shine, but was pivotal to Juventus attacking moves.
Kulusevski and Chiesa were the best players on the pitch and Juventus’ organization as a team was mirrored by their solidity, especially after Chiesa’s goal.
The Old Lady never die. Back in January, they seemed doomed when they came to the Mapei Stadium to claim the Italian Super Cup Final against Napoli. It’s the same stadium where, last week, Gigi Buffon saved a Domenico Berardi penalty kick that would have given Sassuolo the lead.
Tonight, Buffon may have played the last game of his career in a Juventus shirt. He was thrown in the air by his teammates after winning his 24th title in 21 seasons with the Bianconeri.
He’s always embodied the club’s spirit. A club that always manages to resurrect itself when everybody thinks the end is near.
Juventus have won two titles in their most challenging season in a decade. They probably do not deserve to qualify for the Champions League, but with 90 minutes remaining, who would be surprised to see them achieve it?