Juventus ended their trophy drought of three years as forward, Dusan Vlahovic scored the only goal to help them defeat Atalanta 1-0 in the Italian Cup final, clinching their first title since 2021.
In the 4th minute, Andrea Cambiaso released a through ball for Vlahovic to beat the offside trap, cleverly shield off Isak Hien, and then shoot with his right foot past goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi in a one-on-one situation.
[caption id="attachment_5285" align="alignnone" width="600"] Forward Dusan Vlahovic (middle) scored in the match where Juventus defeated Atalanta 1-0 in the Italian Cup final at the Olimpico Stadium[/caption]
Vlahovic, after scoring against Inter on May 11, 2022, became the third Juventus player to score in two Italian Cup finals, following John Charles (1958-1959 and 1959-1960 seasons) and Savino Bellini (1937-1938 and 1941-1942). The Serbian striker's tally for this season stands at three assists and 18 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions, including 16 goals in Serie A and two in the Italian Cup.
Vlahovic's goal secured Juventus their first title since the 2020-2021 Italian Cup, where they also defeated Atalanta in the final. The last time "The Old Lady" won the Serie A was in the 2019-2020 season. Juventus extended their record to 15 Italian Cup titles, followed by Roma and Inter Milan (both with 9 Cups), Lazio (7), Fiorentina, and Napoli (6).
Vlahovic also had another goal disallowed for offside, was voted the man of the match in the Italian Cup final, and won his first trophy in Juventus colors. "I can only thank everyone," said the 24-year-old forward. "We knew it was difficult, but the goal was set at the beginning of the year. The team is very happy, but next year we have to aim for every trophy."
Max Allegri set a record as the first coach in history to win five Italian Cups (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2024), surpassing the four titles of Sven-Goran Eriksson and Roberto Mancini.
[caption id="attachment_5286" align="alignnone" width="600"] Juventus players celebrate the Italian Cup after defeating Atalanta 1-0 in the final at the Olimpico Stadium[/caption]
"Victory is never easy, but it's in Juventus' DNA," Allegri - whose contract runs until 2025 - said after the match. "If I'm not the coach of Juventus next year, I'll be leaving a strong team. The club will evaluate after the season."
Meanwhile, Atalanta suffered their fifth consecutive defeat in the Italian Cup final and have won only one title in their history - the 1962-1963 Italian Cup. Gian Piero Gasperini's team still has another chance, as they will face newly crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland on May 22.
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