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Six-goal Juve cruise into Coppa Italia quarters

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Six-goal Juve cruise into Coppa Italia quarters
Six-goal Juve cruise into Coppa Italia quarters
Six-goal Juve cruise into Coppa Italia quarters

The Bianconeri treated a packed out Juventus Stadium crowd to a six-goal showing as they booked themselves a Coppa Italia quarter-final tie against Parma in style with this evening’s 6-1 demolition of Hellas Verona.

A vastly rotated starting line-up, featuring eight changes from Sunday’s win over Napoli and the return of Simone Pepe, certainly gave Massimiliano Allegri plenty of food for thought with a consummate display that featured a double for Sebastian Giovinco.

His two first-half strikes, which came either side of Roberto Pereyra opening his account in the black and white stripes, gave the hosts a strong platform on which to build on in the second half.

And that they did, with Paul Pogba bagging his second in as many games just eight minutes into the restart. Nene’s header four minutes later enabled the visitors to partially reduce the deficit, only for Alvaro Morata to restore the four-goal cushion moments later from the spot.

There was still time for one final flourish as Kingsley Coman, on in place of Giovinco, brought Juventus Stadium to its feet with a stunning solo effort that bounced off the underside of the bar and over the line for goal number six.

The Bianconeri’s assault for a tenth Coppa Italia got off to the perfect start with barely five minutes on the clock, Giovinco seizing his chance to shine with both hands by bending a fine 25-yard free-kick beyond Rafael after drawing a foul on the edge of the area.

With Juventus continuing to attack and Morata going close with a shot on the turn - blocked by Rafael - it appeared only a matter of time before the lead was doubled. It came on 21 minutes, with Pereyra nudging the ball past Guillermo Rodriguez before executing a deft finish over the onrushing Brazilian shotstopper.

Goalscorer almost turned provider nine minutes later, inviting Pepe to fire in a shot from an acute angle which Rafael was on hand to block at his near post.

Verona refused to lie down, though, and Gustavo Campanharo, a livewire all night, ensured Marco Storari was kept on his toes five minutes before the break with a strike that forced the goalkeeper to tip the ball away from his top corner.

But any fears of a Gialloblu comeback were firmly put to bed inside the opening minute of first-half stoppage time when Giovinco found himself in the right place at the right time to tap home Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cutback for his second of the night.

Allegri’s men emerged for the second half with plenty of hunger to extend their advantage and, after Nico Lopez saw his attempt palmed over by Storari, they did just that.

While there may have been an element of fortune involved when the ball broke to Pogba inside the box, there could be no arguments about the Frenchman’s finish as he outfoxed Rafael with an audacious dummy before nudging the ball across the line on 53 minutes.

Down but not out, Verona mustered a response just four minutes later when Nene poked the ball over the line after Rafael Marquez’s flick on from an Hellas Verona corner.

Yet the lively Bianconeri forwards continued to torment the Gialloblu rearguard and Giovinco’s persistence fashioned the ideal opportunity to make it five from the spot, with Morata lashing home a penalty that Rafael found too hot to handle.

The penalty proved to be Giovinco’s last contribution, as Allegri took the opportunity to have a look at Coman alongside Morata in attack.

And it wasn’t long before the 18-year-old lifted the roof off Juventus Stadium with a spectacular drive that cannoned off the underside of the bar and in from the fringes of the area on 79 minutes.

The Frenchman’s offering was to be the last of the goalmouth action, as Allegri’s men played out the last ten minutes before heading over to receive the adulation of their fans for a scintillating night of Coppa Italia action in Turin.

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