Key players for the return leg of the Coppa Italia Semi-Final:
Cleansheet after clean sheet and wins after wins are coming Juve and Pirlo's way since the January 17 loss to Inter. The upturn in fortune has seen Juve get back to the title race, win the Super Coppa, and hold a 2-1 advantage over Inter in the semis of the Italian cup ahead of Tuesday's encounter. Below we will take a look at the key players that will help Juve reach the Coppa Italia final for the second year running.
1. Matthijs De Ligt:
He was highly missed in that Serie A loss to Inter as Chiellini and Bonucci were unable to control the attacks of Inter who equally threatens their attackers and midfielders. He was back in the line up alongside Merih Demiral in the first leg, in which despite the goal, they had a good game. On Tuesday, the pair is expected to start the game but this time they will be expected to face a harder task in Lukaku and Matthijs is the one who will be assigned to neutralize the big Belgian. If he will be able to do that then it may mean Inter are neutralized, who should score at least 2 if they are to qualify to the final.
2. Cristiano Ronaldo:
He was the difference-maker in Milan last week. After a very cool finish from the spot, he stole the ball of Bastoni, in a way that reminds of what he did to Chiellini in the build-up to his acrobatic goal against Juve, to turn the game on his head. Come Tuesday, the same is expected from the Portuguese as he will once again come against Bastoni, De Vrij and Skriniar alongside Morata. His lethal finishing accompanied by his speed will surely be a headache for Inter as they are expected to play slightly with a Highline due to the fact that they need to score at least 2 goals.
3. Gigi Buffon:
He was instrumental last week with some of his saves salvaging the win in Inter's home ground. He should be at his best once again in Allianz on Tuesday if Juve are going to qualify, but aside from his shot-stopping, Buffon could be vital in the first phase of the build-up as Inter will look to press high up the pitch. He can be a way out for Juve with his long and short penetrative passes which are vital in breaking out of the pressings which can result in a fast transition and creating a numerical advantage in Inter's half.