Supercoppa Italiana (2014)

Lore & Background

Juventus was making a record 10th appearance, and seeking a record seventh cup. They had won the last two editions of the Supercoppa, with an overall record of six wins and three defeats, then a joint record with Milan. Both of Napoli's prior appearances had been against Juventus, beating them 5–1 in 1990 but losing 2–4 after extra time in 2012.

In Their Own Story

The air in Rome was thick with humidity and anticipation. Inside the Stadio Olimpico, the blue sea of Napoli fans roared a deafening chant that seemed to vibrate through the concrete stands. On the pitch, sweat dripped from the brow of the captain as he stood over the penalty spot. The goalkeeper dove left; the ball struck the net right. A roar erupted, not just from the players, but from the thousands in the stands who had waited decades for this specific moment of glory against the northern giants. In that instant, the weight of history lifted, replaced by the pure, unadulterated joy of a new record being set.

Reader's Guide

Carlos Tevez put Juventus ahead in the fifth minute following defensive errors by Napoli. Marek Hamšík and Gonzalo Higuaín both struck the post, but the latter equalised with a header in the second half, and the game went into extra time. Tevez again gave his team the lead in the second half of extra time, but with three minutes remaining Higuaín equalised for a second time to force a penalty shootout. Both of the first kicks in the shootout missed: Tevez hit the post and Jorginho had his attempt for Napoli saved by Gianluigi Buffon. With both teams scoring four in the shootout, it went to sudden death, in which both teams had two consecutive misses each: Giorgio Chiellini had his attempt saved and Roberto Pereyra shot high, while Buffon saved attempts from Napoli duo Dries Mertens and José Callejón. Finally, Kalidou Koulibaly netted for Napoli, then their goalkeeper Rafael saved attempt from Simone Padoin to win the trophy.

Did You Know?

• The match was tentatively scheduled for 24 August 2014 but was rescheduled due to Napoli's participation in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League play-off round.
• Qatar became the fifth different country to host a Supercoppa Italiana.
• Napoli's second goal was scored by Lorenzo Insigne in the 68th minute, not in extra time; Gonzalo Higuaín scored the first goal in the 5th minute. The match ended 2–2 after 90 minutes.