Italian Cup, Juventus-Empoli 3-5: black and white flops with penalties

Empoli will challenge Bologna in the Italian Cup semifinal. D’Aversa’s team does the story by beating Juventus 5-3 at the Stadium of Turin after the penalty kicks, after the regulatory times had closed on 1-1. A Juventus almost unrecognizable to long traits compared to the latest releases that recovers the challenge with a spectacular goal by Thuram who responds to Maleh, but then he is wrong twice with Vlahovic and Yildiz by frustrating the effort. Empoli who for the third time in its history had landed in the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup, conquers a historic semifinal after having beaten, in the order, Catanzaro, Turin, Fiorentina and Juventus. The Tuscans, returning from the heavy defeat in the championship 5-0 at the hands of Atalanta, and in the third last place in Serie A make the company.

Thiago Motta has the almost obliged choices at the start, with Thuram in midfield paired with Koopmeiners. In the goal he plays Perin, while in defense there are cats with Kelly, while Cambiaso and Weah on the outsiders. In front for the first time together from the 1st minute the couple Kolo Muani and Vlahovic with McKennie and Nico Gonzalez in support. D’Aversa replies with many young people. In front of Vasquez, the three -way defense consists of Tosto, Ismajili and Marianucci, on the exterior Sambia and Cacace. Then in the middle of the Bacci camp, Henderson and Maleh, and in attack the tandem made up of Colombo and Konate.

Juve has a good start, with an opportunity devoured by Nico Gonzalez in the 2nd: Kolo Muani’s intelligent shore that frees Nico Gonzalez only in front of Vasquez but the Argentine kicks high by wasteing a sensational chance. Then Juve falls on intensity and at 20 ‘it is Empoli to waste a potential good opportunity with Konate who kicks from outside, completely missing the mirror. At 24 ‘the Tuscans take the lead: Nico Gonzalez gives the ball on the trocar, the sphere arrives on Maleh’s feet who leaves a missile from the edge to cross the edge that beats Perin for the 1-0.

Thiago Motta’s team is unable to react as the technician would like and risks the collapse. At 41 ‘Restart of Empoli with Maleh who serves Konate who enters the area and tries the diagonal too soft with Perin’s parade. The opportunity at the 46th minute is sensational: launch directly by the goalkeeper Vasquez who finds Konate who runs away and presents himself only in front of Perin, bounces the ball, takes the aim but hits the internal pole, wasting the blow of the possible knockout.

We start at the beginning of the second half and still dangerous the D’Aversa team who in the first minute puts Male’s condition to go to the shot from the edge, but Perin is attentive and sends in the corner. At 52 ‘Vlahovic shows up on a free kick, but Vasquez is attentive and deflects in the corner. At 57 ‘Empoli still close to the goal with Sambia who steals the ball in Cambiaso and gets rid of the door, but his shot is raised in the corner by Perin with the tip of his fingers. The Juventus coach changes a set -up and deploy a four -pointed Juve. The team raises the center of gravity and at 59 ‘a poisonous cross of Weah is saved from cacace in a slip. But Juve raises the rhythms and at 66 ‘finds the same: spectacular number of Thuram who with a wonderful number with the heel exceeds Goglichidze and puts Vasquez on the first pole for 1-1.

Now the bianconeri are looking for the victory goal and at 70 ‘Kolo Muani jumps his direct opponent dry and looking for Vlahovic in the center but the Serbian shot is replied by Marianucci. Juve is still dangerous in the 78th minute with Vlahovic head but the goalkeeper of the Tuscans blocks. Empoli replies, with a great attachment of Esposito who controls and pulls but parasted in two stages Perin. On the end occasion to 85 ‘for Empoli: Esposito on the counterattack serves Kouame but the shot from a good position ends to the side. On the reversal in front of Thuram fishing Vlahovic in the center of the area, but the Serbian turns around and rightly sends to the side. Last occasion in 94 ‘for Juve with Yildiz who kicks a little high. It ends 1-1 and go to the penalty kicks. Vlahovic begins who immediately makes a mistake by sending very high. It’s up to Henderson who scores. It is the turn of Kolo Muani who is not wrong. Both Kouamé and Locatelli then go on. He also scores cacace, then Yildiz’s error that the shot is fired and Marianucci makes the Tuscans explode and gives a historic semifinal in the Italian Cup.

Thiago Motta: “I feel shame, we didn’t deserve semifinal”

“What leaves an evening like this? Shame,” said Juventus coach, Thiago Motta in Mediaset. “I feel the shame for what was seen in the first half and I hope that my players feel the same thing too, because we can make mistakes anything but not this attitude, that of the first half was shameful. I am wrong because I did not make my players understand the importance of the game, to dress a shirt like that of Juventus and that’s why we are not in the semifinal, we did not deserve on the field to go there”. “Mental repercussions for the team? No, I hope the criticisms are really strong, our audience was also very kind to us for what we saw in the first half and surely I hope in a reaction immediately of these players, because I repeat, I feel ashamed”.

“What are the difficulties? Today we saw that we played against an Empoli who made those who play normally also to rest. You have to understand where you are and what you have to do, that you must deserve every day and not to demand things, without giving. Today we have not given anything and we cannot make a mistake in this club, which is the attitude. This is inadmissible, we must apologize to our fans, to the company, to the history of this club.”

“Is it a team that has to change a lot? I believe in the technical aspect because we have quality players, sure. I am convinced of this, but the quality is almost always enough, it takes other things to compete, to play a football game, to be at the level, and above all the attitude is the main thing and it is the first thing I have spoken of and which you cannot negotiate, for this I feel shame. I accept the errors but I will never accept this behavior We saw, “added Thiago Motta.

“Where do you start from? From the basic thing of football and the life that is the attitude. Things must be deserved and we must not demand them and today I saw a team that demanded things without deserving them. This makes me feel bad and makes me feel ashamed. It starts from giving everything in the field, in training, working one for the other, respecting the history of this club. The problem today was attitude and the responsibility is all”.