Napoli end Juve's double dream with cup triumph
Sunday, May 20, 2012
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SSC Napoli have won the Coppa Italia for the fourth time and denied Juventus their hopes of completing the domestic double after a 2-0 victory at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.
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Italian champions Juventus fell short in their bid to complete the domestic double after losing 2-0 against SSC Napoli in the Coppa Italia final in Rome, as the Partenopei lifted the trophy for first time since 1987.
Napoli made a brilliant start to the Stadio Olimpico encounter and went close to taking the lead after just two minutes when Juventus stand-in goalkeeper Marco Storari was forced into a fine save from Juan Camilo Zúñiga's close-range header. Moments later Ezequiel Lavezzi narrowly missed the target with a right-foot shot from the edge of the area.
The first half ended goalless as Napoli goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis did well to repel efforts by Claudio Marchisio and Alessandro Del Piero, the Juventus captain almost certainly playing his last game in a Bianconeri shirt.
Just after the hour mark, however, Storari brought down Lavezzi to enable Edinson Cavani to give Napoli the lead from the penalty spot. Juve coach Antonio Conte ordered his charges forward in search of an equaliser and De Sanctis made a wonderful diving save to deny Leonardo Bonucci's thunderous volley.
As Juventus, unbeaten for the entire Serie A campaign, continued to push they left gaps for Napoli to exploit on the counterattack and the Bianconeri were punished when Goran Pandev's defence-splitting pass allowed Marek Hamšík to beat Storari with a precise low shot at the far post.
Towards the end of the match La Vecchia Signora were reduced to ten men when Napoli old boy Fabio Quagliarella was dismissed for elbowing Salvatore Aronica.
"It's the first trophy after a long wait for Napoli so we are very glad to be here celebrating with our great fans," said delighted Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri after the match.
"Winning the Coppa Italia by defeating a team like Juve makes it even more special," he added. "They have been unbeatable for the whole season but we came here and defeated them 2-0, it's a great achievement. This group did great things in the last three years and this is a great reward for everyone."
