Medhi Benatia Scores Brace as Juventus Beat AC Milan to Lift Fourth Consecutive Coppa Italia

Moroccan defender Medhi Benatia scored a brace as Juventus thrashed rivals AC Milan 4-0 to claim the Coppa Italia for a fourth consecutive season.

The defender was the unlikely hero for Massimiliano Allegri’s side, scoring both goals from corners to help Juventus secure the trophy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Gennaro Gattuso’s team played well in the first half but fell apart after conceding Benatia’s header in the 56th minute. The whole team lost their calm after conceding and soon, thanks to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s errors, the flood gates opened.

Five minutes later, Juventus got their second from the Donnarumma’s first howler. Douglas Costa hit a powerful shot from the edge of the box which should have been saved by the highly rated goalkeeper but it instead fell through his hands and crept into the net.

That was not the end of what was surely one of Donnarumma’s worst performances. It got worse for him four minutes later as he failed to hold Mario Mandzukic’s header. He dropped it at the feet of Benatia who prodded it home to make it three.

Juventus Players Cerebrating After the Win. (Getty Images)

An unchallenged own goal by substitute Nikola Kalinic rounded off a calamitous defensive display by Milan. The former heavy weights were hoping to win the Coppa Italia for the first time since 2003.

For Benatia, the brace was redemption for his fault in the Old Lady’s 1-0 loss to Serie A rival Napoli last month.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“After my error on the marking for Kalidou Koulibaly, everyone said I was useless, I haven’t become fantastic now and I wasn’t useless then. … I gave my contribution, nothing more.”[/perfectpullquote]

Benatia added.

The Old Lady might also win the Serie A title on Sunday if Napoli continue to flatter, though considering their superior goal difference, it’s only a matter of when, rather than if, they claim the Scudetto for a seventh straight year.