2015 Coppa Italia Final

The 2015 Coppa Italia Final will decide the winner of the 2014–15 Coppa Italia, the 67th season of Italy's main football cup. It will be played on 7 June 2015 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, between Juventus and Lazio.

The winner will qualify for the group stage of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League unless they qualify for the UEFA Champions League via their league position. They will also face the champions of the 2014–15 Serie A in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana.

Background

Juventus will be playing a 15th final, second only to Roma's 17. They have won nine, a joint record with Roma. Their most recent final was in 2012, losing 0–2 to Napoli, and their last victory was in 1995, defeating Parma 3–0 on aggregate.^[1] It will be Lazio's eighth, of which they have won six, most recently a 1–0 win in 2013 against Roma.^[1] Juventus and Lazio contested the 2004 final, which Lazio won 4–2 on aggregate.^[1]

Road to the final

Juventus

Juventus, of Serie A, began the competition in the last 16, hosting fellow top-flight team Hellas Verona at Juventus Stadium on 15 January 2015. Sebastian Giovinco scored twice in addition to Roberto Pereyra's first Juventus goal for a 3–0 lead at half time. After Paul Pogba extended Juventus' lead, Nenê netted a consolation for Verona. Rafael Márquez fouled Giovinco for a penalty which Álvaro Morata converted, and 18-year-old substitute Kingsley Coman scored his first Juventus goal to conclude a 6–1 victory.^[2]

In the quarter-finals 13 days later, Juventus played Parma away, winning with a goal by substitute Morata in the 89th minute.^[3]

On 5 March, Juventus began their two-legged semi-final against the last season's finalists Fiorentina. In the home match, Mohamed Salah, on loan from Chelsea, gave the visitors the lead, but Fernando Llorente equalised before half time. Salah then scored a second to win the game.^[4] In the second leg on 7 April, Juventus travelled to the Stadio Artemio Franchi and won 3–0 to triumph 4–2 on aggregate. Alessandro Matri, Pereyra and Leonardo Bonucci scored, but Morata was sent off with two minutes remaining for a poor challenge on Alessandro Diamanti.^[5]

Lazio

Lazio, also of Serie A, began in the third round with a home match against Lega Pro team Bassano Virtus on 24 August 2014. They won 7–0 with goals by Antonio Candreva, Keita (2), Stefan de Vrij, Marco Parolo, Dušan Basta and Miroslav Klose.^[6] They hosted Serie B club Varese in the fourth round on 2 December, winning 3–0; an own goal by on-loan defender Stefan Šimić was followed two minutes later by Filip Đorđević, with Felipe Anderson netting a late third.^[7]

In the last 16 on 14 January 2015, Lazio travelled to the Stadio Olimpico to face their first top-flight opponent of the campaign, Torino. Keita and Klose put them ahead before half time, with Josef Martínez scoring four minutes into the second half. Torino goalkeeper Daniele Padelli was sent off for fouling Klose for a penalty, which Cristian Daniel Ledesma converted.^[8] Thirteen days later in the quarter-finals at the San Siro, Lazio defeated Milan 1–0 with a penalty by Lucas Biglia, awarded after Michelangelo Albertazzi handled his cross. Lorik Cana was sent off for Lazio shortly afterwards.^[9]

On 4 March, Lazio hosted holders Napoli in the first leg of the semi-final and led at half time after Felipe Anderson had set up a goal for Klose. Napoli equalised in the second half when Gonzalo Higuaín went around Lazio goalkeeper Etrit Berisha and provided a goal for Manolo Gabbiadini.^[10] In the second leg on 8 April, substitute Senad Lulić scored in the 79th minute to win the tie 2–1 on aggregate from a low cross by Felipe Anderson. In the final moments of the match, Lulić slid to clear a sure goal off the goal line from Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne.^[11][12]

Match

Team selection

Juventus will be without forward Álvaro Morata, who was sent off in the second leg of the semi-final, as well as midfielder Claudio Marchisio, who was given a yellow card in that match.^[5]

References

{{2014–15 in Italian football}}