Napoli 0-0 (4-2 on pens.) Juventus
Napoli have done it again. Eight years after their famous Coppa Italia final win over fierce rivals Juventus, they have beaten the reigning Italian champions once more, this time on penalties.
This year’s victory over their bitter enemies tastes much sweeter, though, as they also got their revenge on former boss Maurizio Sarri.
Sarri’s Juve side simply didn’t play well in the final. Cristiano Ronaldo had a quiet match and didn’t even get to take part in the shootout due to two early Juve misses. Napoli, on the other hand, kept their cool from the spot as they claimed their sixth cup title.
Highlights of the game
The Coppa Italia 2020 odds saw Napoli as slight underdogs, and they very nearly had a disastrous start as they handed Juventus a glorious opportunity to take the lead after just five minutes.
Paulo Dybala picked off Jose Callejon’s careless pass and set up Cristiano Ronaldo for a shot. However, the Juventus superstar was denied by a fine save from Napoli keeper Alex Meret, who was starting in place of the suspended David Ospina.
Another errant pass from Callejon led to Juventus’ next meaningful effort on goal on 20 minutes. Rodrigo Bentancur had a speculative shot from the edge of the penalty area, which was easily caught by Meret.
It took until the 24th minute for Napoli to get their first notable shot on goal, and they very nearly scored from it. Lorenzo Insigne’s free-kick looked destined for the top corner, but 42-year-old Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon denied the Napoli skipper with an amazing save.
Juventus again came close to breaking the deadlock on 39 minutes when Dybala tried to set Ronaldo through on goal. However, his pass wasn’t quite precise enough as Meret was able to pounce on the ball before the Portuguese legend.
Napoli then hit back immediately with not one but three chances in succession. First, Insigne’s effort was cleared off the line by Juventus defender Sandro. Then, Diego Demme got a clear sight on goal, but Buffon was once again there to Juventus’ rescue. And from the ensuing corner, Buffon had to parry away another Insigne shot from distance.
Neither side could produce many clear-cut opportunities in the second half, though, as they were reduced to more long-range efforts.
Napoli were the ones looking more likely to score as the game went on, but efforts from Arkadiusz Milik, Matteo Politano, and Insigne did not trouble Buffon.
The Neapolitans then very nearly stole the cup in stoppage time. Nikola Maksimovic was left completely unmarked from a corner and delivered a bullet header toward Buffon.
Buffon made the save, but the ball was loose inside the six-yard box. Somehow, though, Napoli were unable to bundle the ball in as Eljif Elmas could only hit the post with his attempt.
So as predicted in the SBOBET preview of the Coppa Italia final, it was on to penalties. Juventus found themselves in a huge hole after just two rounds. Dybala, who stepped up first, was denied by Meret. Then, Danilo blasted his penalty over the bar.
On the Napoli side, Insigne slotted with ease and Politano sent squeezed his effort past Buffon. Leonardo Bonucci and Aaron Ramsey both converted to keep Juventus alive. But Maksimovic also made his penalty, which meant Arkadiusz Milik had the chance to win the cup for Napoli.
Buffon had been Juve’s hero in the final, but the 42-year-old could not stop Milik’s penalty as Napoli were Coppa Italia champions once again.
Key statistics
As expected from a Sarri side, Juventus dominated 53 per cent of possession. However, they were unable to do much with the ball. They were outshot by Napoli, 15-13, and had just three shots on target to Napoli’s seven.
Paulo Dybala did not have his shooting boots on in the final. He led the team with four total shots, but none of them were on target. Perhaps he really is struggling for fitness after his bout with Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo — who missed a penalty in the semi-final second leg against Milan — once again struggled to produce any Coppa Italia 2020 highlights in his second game back from the long break. He had just three total shots, with his early effort after just five minutes the only one on target.
What’s next?
Juventus’ dreams of a domestic double may be over, but they are still in line to win a ninth consecutive Scudetto. They will resume their league campaign on June 22 when they travel to mid-table Bologna.
After this cup disappointment, the pressure is on Sarri to deliver the league. If he doesn’t, he’ll likely get the sack.
As for Napoli, they will have a few days to celebrate their cup triumph before they get back to Serie A action on June 23. They will be at the San Paolo to host a SPAL side that’s likely to be relegated.
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