Last weekend marked the return of the Coppa Italia following the pandemic break, starting with a Friday night encounter between Juventus and A.C. Milan, with Serie A set to resume this weekend. The second leg took place at the Allianz Stadium, ending a three-month drought of professional football in the country. To ensure safety during the pandemic, the game was played without any spectators.
Juventus secured their place in the Coppa Italia finals after playing out a 0-0 draw against a ten-man A.C. Milan. The match featured a shocking moment when the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty that could have given Juventus a decisive lead. The penalty was awarded in the 16th minute after VAR determined that the ball had deflected off Andrea Conti’s elbow.
Ronaldo stepped up to take the penalty, hoping to repeat his success from the first leg where his scoring was vital. However, his shot hit the post, marking only the second time he has missed a penalty during his tenure at Juventus. Despite this miss, Juventus advanced to the finals based on the away goal advantage they earned in the previous match.
The second semi-final took place Saturday night at the San Paolo Stadium, featuring Napoli and Inter Milan. Napoli held a one-goal lead heading into the second leg, but Inter Milan wiped out that advantage almost immediately. Just two minutes into the match, Christian Eriksen scored directly from a corner kick. This appearance was Eriksen's fourth start for Inter since his January transfer from Tottenham.
Inter's momentum was halted in the 41st minute when Dries Mertens found the back of the net. The goal followed a fantastic piece of play by Lorenzo Insigne, effectively deciding the tie for Napoli. Although Inter Milan created several chances throughout the match, they couldn't beat a resolute David Ospina in goal. With a 2-1 aggregate victory, Napoli has reached its first Coppa Italia final since 2014. They are set to face Juventus this Wednesday in Rome.