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Juventus are big favorites to win the Italian Cup after defeating Lazio 2-0 in Turin’s semi-final first leag on Tuesday.
Juventus defeated Lazio 2-0 in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday, with strikers Federico Chiesa and Dusan Vlahovic scoring for Massimiliano Allegri’s team in the second half.
The victory brought Juventus closer to their 22nd Cup final, which they had won a record 14 times.
The second leg will be played in Rome on April 23.
Juventus might have opened the scoring early in the game with a penalty for Matias Vecino’s foul on defender Andrea Cambiaso, but the referee reversed his judgment after a VAR check revealed that the Juve right back was offside.
Lazio, who lost striker Mattia Zaccagni to injury in the 14th minute, looked better in the first half, pressing for chances and maintaining more control.
Juventus won 1-0 at home in Serie A on Saturday with a last-gasp goal from the visitors. However, the visitors battled with precision, and Chiesa gave Juventus the lead five minutes after the break.
The Italy striker took advantage of Cambiaso’s wonderful vertical feed to shoot from the edge of the box, low inside the right post.
Juventus Take Revenge on Lazio in Coppa Italia Semi-Final
The goal galvanized Juventus into action, and Vlahovic extended their lead in the 64th minute, shooting into the bottom far corner.
Weston McKennie played Vlahovic in from the right flank with his first touch, allowing the Serbian to break into the box and score his tenth goal in all competitions since the turn of the year.
“It was a really difficult period for all of us, but we knew we had to be ready for this game,” Vlahovic told Mediaset.
“We played against a really powerful team, led by a strong coach. We gave our all, and once we achieved our aim, everything became simpler.
Juventus has gone unbeaten in their last 23 home games in the competition, setting a tournament record.
Their previous home Coppa Italia setback came in March 2015, when they lost 2-1 to Fiorentina, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice.
Lazio, who have reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time since 2018-19, finished with no shots on goal, becoming the first team in the competition to lose five successive games away from home.
Fiorentina face Atalanta in the other semi-final on Wednesday.
