Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri paid tribute to his players after masterminding a third successive Coppa Italia triumph, but urged them to retain their focus and ensure they win the Scudetto on Sunday as well.
First-half goals by defenders Dani Alves and Leo Bonucci saw the Bianconeri seal the club's 12th Coppa Italia trophy, as Juve won a repeat of the 2015 final.
“You have to take your hats off to the lads for the way they played tonight. It was a fantastic game and we were exceptional in the first half against an excellent Lazio side,” the 49-year-old was quoted as saying by the club website.
Question marks had been raised after second-placed Roma had thumped the Bianconeri 3-1 on Friday and Allegri was happy with his side’s response against an resurgent Lazio as he added, “We've bounced back after letting our focus drop on Sunday and we've got the week off to a good start. We have another very important match on Sunday and we want to clinch the Scudetto.”
In between Juventus and their quest for a sixth consecutive league title are relegation-threatened Crotone and Allegri foresees a tough game for the league leaders.
“It will be hard against Crotone because they've picked up 17 points in their last seven games and they're scrapping for their Serie A survival. We're going to have to produce a top performance.”
“We need one more win and we must make sure we get it against Crotone. We're going to need the help of our fans at the stadium because we have to win the league this Sunday,” he added.