Juventus overpower Milan on way to 13th Italian Cup
rome — Juventus ran riot to beat blundering AC Milan 4-0 on Wednesday night in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico and lift the Italian Cup for a fourth consecutive year.
Juve are now poised to become the first Italian team to complete the league and cup double four years in a row after their 13th Italian Cup triumph.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side are one point away from claiming a seventh consecutive Serie A title with two games to play and could seal it this weekend against Roma in the same Stadio Olimpico stadium.
“It’s not that Juve have to win, but I’m now unfortunately used to the idea that people take our victories for granted,” said Allegri.
“Nothing is to be taken for granted. The lads had an extraordinary game and deserved this win. Now we have to ensure the Scudetto mathematically and enjoy this extraordinary season.”
The Turin giants put their foot on the gas after a balanced first half with Gennaro Gattuso’s Milan crumbling with two errors from young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and a Nikola Kalinic own goal gifting the cup to Juventus.
Mehdi Benatia opened the floodgates after 56 minutes for the first of a double on the night for the Moroccan with Douglas Costa also finding the net, before Kalinic’s blunder after 76 minutes.
AC Milan — sixth in Serie A — had been hoping for a win which would have guaranteed them a place in the Europa League group phase.
“I think it hurts more that we took 40,000 fans here and gave them a result like this,” said coach Gattuso.
“Now we have two games against sides who are in better shape than us and must try to get into the Europa League with better performances than this.”
The match had been dubbed a duel between Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon who at 40 is set to retire and Donnarumma, 19, his touted replacement in the Italian national team.