28 January 2016
Juve’s 3-0 victory on Wednesday evening did not stem so much from possession, of which they had only 43 per cent, but an ability to create danger whenever they had the ball, fashioning 14 shots in total to Inter’s six, whipping in 11 crosses to their eight and managing 18 touches in the opposition box compared to their nine.
Perhaps the most important fact of all, however, was that of being utterly clinical in the final third, converting three out of their four efforts on target, while restricting the Nerazzurri to just two, fairly innocuous attempts on their own goal.
It was a night to remember for Alvaro Morata, who ended a 20-game scoring drought with his second brace in Bianconeri colours (his first came in the 7-0 thrashing of Parma in November 2014).
The Spaniard was a constant threat throughout the 90 minutes, helping himself to six shots, three of which on target, and providing two crosses.
Starting his first match since December’s win over Carpi, Juan Cuadrado was a real menace down the right flank and drew seven fouls from Nerazzurri players – a match record bettered in this season’s Coppa Italia only by Andrea Catellani for Spezia against Roma (eight).
The Colombian wing wizard was the man brought down for Juve’s penalty, converted by Morata, before being tripped up again by Jeison Murillo in the second half, leading to the defender’s dismissal.
Those key contributions aside, Cuadrado had two shots blocked, completed three dribbles and won an incredible 17 50-50 challenges at a success rate of 82.4 per cent.
As has now become a ritual at Juventus Stadium, and in several of Italy’s other grounds for that matter, there was also a distinct mark left on yesterday’s match by Paulo Dybala, namely a goal.
It was the 15th in all competitions for the Argentine forward, thus maintaining a record of netting one in every two Bianconeri outings – an excellent return from the 22-year-old in his debut campaign in Turin.
Looking down the other end of the pitch, there were several more reasons to be satisfied. Another clean sheet means that Juve remain the only team of the four remaining in this year’s Coppa Italia not to have let in a single goal in the competition. The Nerazzurri had enjoyed the same defensive record as their hosts heading into yesterday’s tie, but that swiftly changed over the course of the encounter.
Further evidence of the Bianconeri’s solidity at the back comes with the fact that Felipe Melo’s 10th minute effort on target was the first to have been conceded by Juventus so far during their Coppa Italia defence this term.
