With four teams left in the Italian Cup, there are four games left to play. Lazio face Juventus and Fiorentina take on Atalanta, with the semi-finals played over two legs. The Serie A title looks set to be claimed by Inter Milan, so this is a remaining chance of domestic glory for the teams.
Fixture Details – Date, Kick-off Time, and Venue
Here is the schedule for the four ties to be played over the course of three weeks in April.
Juventus vs. Lazio
- Venue: Allianz Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, April 2
- Kick-off time: 20:00 UK time / 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET
Fiorentina vs. Atalanta
- Venue: Stadio Artemio Franchi
- Date: Wednesday, April 3
- Kick-off time: 20:00 UK time / 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET
Lazio vs. Juventus
- Venue: Stadio Olimpico
- Date: Tuesday, April 23
- Kick-off time: 20:00 UK time / 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET
Atalanta vs. Fiorentina
- Venue: Gewiss Stadium
- Date: Wednesday, April 24
- Kick-off time: 20:00 UK time / 21:00 CET / 15:00 ET
Quarter-finals Recap – Setting the Stage
Juventus 4-0 Frosinone
Juventus had little problems progressing to the next round up against the minnows of Frosinone. The game will be remembered for Arkadiusz Milik’s hat-trick, with Kenan Yildiz adding the fourth.
Milan 1-2 Atalanta
Atalanta squeezed through at AC Milan where Rafael Leao opened the scoring just at the end of the first half, only for Teun Koopmeiners to equalise two minutes later in stoppage time before grabbing the winner from the spot just before the hour mark. The game ended with an ill-tempered moment as Milan’s Antonio Mirante saw red seven minutes into added time.
Lazio 1-0 Roma
A local derby saw Lazio face off with Roma at their shared Stadio Olimpico ground. Matia Zaccagni scored a 51st-minute penalty, but experienced winger Pedro was sent off in the 96th minute before a fiery crescendo saw Sardar Azmoun and Gianluca seeing red even deeper into added time.
Fiorentina 0-0 Bologna (Fiorentina won 5-4 on penalties)
Fiorentina defeated Bologna in their match, but the two sides took it all the way to penalties before Fiorentina edged the shootout 5-4.
Team Form – Recent Performances
- Juventus stumbled 2-1 at Napoli and also lost at home to Udinese, and they had not won any of their last six months save for a 3-2 win over Frosinone last month.
- Lazio were dumped out of the Champions League after a 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich, and before then they lost 1-0 at home to Milan, with recent defeats also against Fiorentina and Bologna.
- Atalanta need to build on a 1-1 draw at Sporting to progress to the last eight of the Europa League, and need to go back to February for their last victories, 3-0 at home to Sassuolo and 4-1 away to Genoa.
- Fiorentina have a 4-3 win in Israel in the Europa Conference League against Maccabi Haifa, and also notched a recent win over Lazio. Going back to mid-February they recorded a 5-1 hammering over Frosinone, having not been beaten since an away defeat to Lecce on February 2.
Tactical Analysis – Strategies Unveiled
For Roma, Daniele de Rossi has upended the usual defensive strategies employed by Jose Mourinho before him, and put the emphasis on attacking with his 4-3-3 formation. He has been rewarded with a huge upturn in form, and scoring almost twice as many goals than they were under the Portuguese.
Lazio also use a 4-3-3 under Maurizio Sarri, with the Italian aiming to keep the ball and stretch play to employ his wingers and full-backs to get forward. This season has not matched the peaks of last year, so he may be on his way when his contract ends in the summer.
Fiorentina’s Vincenzo Italiano is another disciple of 4-3-3, with his defensive strategy being one that employs a high line that can leave them vulnerable to direct and swift counter-attacking, while focusing on pressing their offensive advantage.
Gian Piero Gasperini is the odd one out, as he has built his Atalanta side on a 3-4-1-2 foundation, but he too is prepared to push for goals and is happy to take risks with his attacking play.
Key Players – Impactful Figures on the Pitch
- Dusan Vlahovic remains key to Juventus’ hope this season. The only player in double figures for the season, his 15 goals come at almost one a game, with a handful of assists to point to as well.
- Luis Alberto has made his name at Lazio after struggling at Liverpool. Almost 300 games into his Lazio career, which started in 2016, the 31-year-old is a talented playmaker who can play across the front three supporting positions.
- Argentina international winger Nicolas Gonzalez continues to thrive with Fiorentina and with 10 goals already this season, this could be his last season with the Italians before moving on to bigger things.
- Teun Koopmeiners provides a solid base in midfield for Atalanta, and he is growing into an established Dutch international. With Ademola Lookman creating ahead of him at pace, he guards the back three with intelligence.
Match Previews – Anticipating the Action
For Juventus, they will hope Dusan Vlahovic is at his ruthless best to secure a home advantage before looking to hold on in the second leg. Lazio, meanwhile, will likely be attacking from the off and hope to get on top early in the tie, before being carried through by a passionate support at home with the Curva Nord.
Giacomo Bonaventura. Lucas Beltran and Nicolas Gonzalez lead the attack for Fiorentina and will hope to target the Atalanta backline early on, while the away side need to hit the ground running and exploit the pace of Ademola Lookman down the channels.
Road to the Final – Implications of the Results
Juventus will hope to take a lead into the second leg, given they have home advantage in the first match-up with Lazio.
Juve are almost certain to miss out on the Serie A title, so any loss in the first tie could ramp up the pressure on Max Allegri. The same could be said for Maurizio Sarri, whose team are now struggling to match expectations.
Fiorentina and Atalanta remain in contention for European glory in their respective competitions, but have almost blown their chance of landing Champions League football next season. There is a chance that a decisive blow for either side in the first leg might see the trailing side focus their energy elsewhere.
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