Coppa Italia Final 2021/22: How Inter’s tactical clarity pushed them ahead of Juventus – tactical analysis

Juventus will finish the season without a trophy for the first time in more than a decade as they got defeated by Inter in the Coppa Italia final after a match full of events that many would consider “controversial”.

After finishing in a 2-2 draw, the winner had to be decided in the extra time, where Ivan Perišić’s efforts were awarded, and he gave Inter the advantage which resulted in their triumph.

Both teams had the initiative in different periods of the game, but Inter’s tactical clarity helped them perform better despite Massimiliano Allegri’s change of approach in the beginning of the second half. After an unproductive first half, the Bianconeri had a boost in their performance as the manager switched the formation by replacing Danilo for Alvaro Morata early on.

That helped them achieve a complete turnover, but they only managed to keep up until the 80^th minute when Hakan Çalhanoğlu equalized with a perfectly executed penalty.

While Juventus are out of the Serie A title competition, Inter have now boosted their confidence for the final two rounds where they need a full package of six points to have a chance against the leaders Milan.

This tactical analysis explains the key tactical moments in the Coppa Italia final and examines why Juventus’ change of tactics wasn’t enough for them to win.

Line-ups, formations and main traits

Initially, Allegri set his team up in their usual 4-4-2 with Mattia Perin on the goal again and a four-man defensive line consisting of Alex Sandro, Giorgio Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt and Danilo. Juventus’ central midfield was dictated by Adrien Rabiot and Denis Zakaria, while Federico Bernardeschi and Juan Cuadrado were operating on the flanks. Paulo Dybala and Dušan Vlahović formed the forward line.

The Bianconeri had some difficulties in the first half, as Inter had more of the possession and could freely build up thanks to the increased spaces and lack of connection between Juve’s lines. There were moments when the Nerrazzuri had too much time and space to make a quick transition and reach the final third.

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