JUVENTUS AND ALLEGRI MADE LIFE EASY FOR INTER AS INZAGHI SENT MESSAGE TO MILAN

It was a tough night for the Bianconeri. Juventus had remained unbeaten in the previous three games against Inter this season but simply collapsed in the decider of the Coppa Italia semi-final. Allegri’s boys produced five shots on target and only one from inside the box.

Eyebrows were raised when the starting XI was announced. With Dusan Vlahovic and Moise Kean injured, Arek Milik was the only centre forward available, but the Poland international initially went on the bench with Federico Chiesa and Angel Di Maria up front.

Allegri’s plan was clear on paper. Play long balls, try to win second balls and hurt the Nerazzurri with counter-attacks. The trouble is, it never happened. Juventus were disjointed through the whole 90 minutes, but the first half was particularly frustrating for Bianconeri fans. Filip Kostic produced the only shot on target of the opening 45 minutes, the Old Lady often tried to feed their wingers, but when they had the ball, there was no striker to look for in the box.

It didn’t change much in the second half, although Milik was introduced immediately after the break. The Poland international struggled against Inter’s three-man defence. Angel Di Maria and Federico Chiesa played too far from the opposing’s goal, Manuel Locatelli looked lost in the middle of the park and all defenders were shaky despite the return of the experienced Leonardo Bonucci. It’s no coincidence that goalkeeper Mattia Perin was probably the MOTM for the Bianconeri, producing an outstanding save in the second half to keep Juventus’ qualification hopes alive.

Juventus fans and Italian media on Thursday morning mainly blamed Allegri, who hasn’t been able to give a clear identity to his team. Last night’s performance was one of the most disappointing of the season and it came after three consecutive defeats in Serie A for the first time since 2010 when Luigi Delneri was in charge.

Allegri surely has a big responsibility for the team’s lack of development. Vlahovic, for example, has regressed since his €80m transfer from Fiorentina in 2022, Locatelli has not fulfilled his potential, Chiesa has been struggling with playing time after suffering a knee injury – not Allegri’s fault – but has been deployed in many different positions, including left wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation.

What’s probably even more worrying for Juve is that Max also looks exhausted. By watching the game at San Siro last night, you would feel that Juventus were never in contention to win it. They hardly believe they could win it and, somehow, it looks like their motivations disappeared after they were temporarily returned 15 points by CONI earlier this month.