TURIN, Italy (AP) – Juventus reached the Italian Cup final for the sixth time in seven years on Tuesday, thanks to a goalless draw with Inter, which they beat 2-1 on aggregate.
Atalanta receives Napoli this Wednesday in the second leg of the other semifinal. The first leg ended with a 0-0 draw.
The final is scheduled for May 19.
Juve manager Andrea Pirlo has faced criticism during his first season as a strategist. However, his team won the Italian Super Cup last year and is still seeking a 10th consecutive Serie A title, setting a record.
“I expected to reach this stage of my debut campaign and be in the knockout stages of the Champions League, have won the Super Cup and have advanced to the final of the Italian Cup,” Pirlo said. “However, we haven’t achieved anything so far, so we have to keep working and stay focused.
“Today we played well, because Inter hardly had any shots on goal. We had the best chances and (Inter goalkeeper Samir) Handanovic, he was the best player on the pitch. “
It is the second consecutive season that Inter have lost in the Italian Cup semifinals. He was also eliminated in European competitions, finishing last in his group in the Champions League.
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, of Juventus, controls the ball during the second leg of the Italian Cup semifinal against Milan on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 (Marco Alpozzi / LaPresse via AP)Marco Alpozzi / AP
“We certainly needed to make better use of the opportunities we generated today over the course of 180 minutes,” said Inter coach Antonio Conte. “I think we saw two teams fight to the end, but unfortunately we paid the price for giving away two goals in the first leg.”
Juventus had won the first leg 2-1 last week. Cristiano Ronaldo got both goals for the Bianconeri.
The Portuguese star also scored in the league on Saturday, so that “Vecchia Signora” won 2-0 over Roma. The day before, Cristiano had turned 36 years old.
On Tuesday, he had a discreet performance in Turin, although he starred in three approaches in the last moments of the first half.
Conte has beaten his previous team only once. The Nerazzurri beat Juve last month in the league.