Juventus gained a 2-0 lead over Lazio in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal on Tuesday when Federico Chiesa and Dušan Vlahović both scored in the second half for Massimiliano Allegri’s team.
The victory brings Juventus closer to reaching their 22nd final in the cup, which they have won a record 14 times. The return leg will take place in Rome on April 23.
Early in the game, Juventus had a chance to score when they were awarded a penalty, but the referee overturned the decision after a VAR check showed an offside by Juve’s right-back, Andrea Cambiaso.
Despite losing striker Mattia Zaccagni to injury early on, Lazio had a better performance in the first half, pressing for chances and holding more possession. However, they lacked precision, and Chiesa eventually broke the deadlock for Juventus five minutes into the second half.
Chiesa capitalized on a well-placed pass by Cambiaso to score from the edge of the box.
The goal spurred Juventus on, and Vlahovic extended their lead in the 64th minute, scoring his 10th goal across all competitions since the start of the year.
“We knew we had to be at our best for this game,” Vlahovic said. “We faced a tough opponent with a strong coach. We gave our all, and after the goal, things became easier.”
Juventus has now gone unbeaten in their last 23 home games in the competition, setting a record streak for the Bianconeri.
Lazio, reaching the Coppa Italia semifinals for the first time since 2018-19, ended the game without a shot on target, marking their first five consecutive away defeats in the competition. In the other semifinal, Fiorentina will host Atalanta on Wednesday.
