Pirlo must win Coppa Italia to save first season
The Coppa Italia final presents an opportunity for this outstanding Atalanta team to add silverware to their fairytale story and etch their names in the history of the club. While also a chance for Juventus to save their poor season, as they face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League and have failed to compete for a tenth successive Scudetto. La Dea look set to record a second placed finish, despite never really being involved in a title race this would be another mark of their tremendous improvement in recent years under Gian Piero Gasperini, a massive achievement especially after losing talisman Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez midway through the campaign.
Route to the final
Andrea Pirlo’s men did extremely well to defeat newly crowned league champions Inter Milan in the semi final, 2-1 over two legs, La Dea thwarted Gennaro Gattuso’s Napoli. Pound for pound these are two of the three best sides in Serie A on a one off match and Juventus will thrive off the chance to save their season and get one over Atalanta, one of the up and coming challengers for a league title. Atalanta beat Cagliari and Lazio before reaching the last four, where the Old Lady had kinder battles with Genoa and SPAL, the stage is set very nicely.
Naturally the focus and spotlight will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, the 36-year-old has scored 36 goals and assisted four this term, a whopping 40 goal involvements at that age is unheard of and his experience in the crucial moments of this fixture could be crucial. When it comes to experience and silverware the Juve squad is far more decorated than Atalanta’s, but that is what makes La Dea so deadly, they have put together a group of players with a point to prove. The team is greater than the sum of its parts have never been truer than with this side and they have earned a narrow favourites tag as a result.
Goals?
Juve have been poor at the back of late, but a cagey nature due to the occasion would not be a surprise, I will not be touching a goals based bet.
- Atalanta have scored in ten of ten and in all of their last 12.
- Atalanta have conceded in six of ten.
- Atalanta have seen both teams score in six of ten.
- Atalanta have seen over 2.5 goals in five of ten.
- Juve have scored in eight of ten.
- Juve have conceded in 10 of 10 and all of their last 14.
- Juve have seen both teams score in eight of ten.
- Juve have seen over 2.5 goals in eight of ten.
This will be great viewing, La Dea deserve the recognition for the incredible strides they have made in trying circumstances. Extra time and penalties would not be a shock.
Post bet chat Marcus's Tips:
La Dea could not sustain a good first half performance as Juve’s experience shone through.