Because of the historical grievances and disputes between Juventus and Roma, every confrontation between these two teams is always highly anticipated. Before the start of this match, Italian media also thought it would be an excellent contest. However, contrary to their guesses, considering that this was a single-elimination game, both teams played very conservatively. Meanwhile, Juventus, playing at home, continued their poor performance from the match against Sampdoria. In the early stages of the game, Roma quickly took the initiative and even suppressed their opponents for a period of time. Although Juventus gradually regained control of the field as the game progressed, their disorganized play and the stubborn defense of their opponents prevented them from finding any effective way to enter the opposing penalty area. On the contrary, 36-year-old Del Piero became the most troublesome person for the opposing defenders.
Unfortunately, every time someone stepped up, it was only him. During this match, the hardworking Del Piero on the field formed a stark contrast with his scattered teammates. After being eliminated from the Italian Cup, he once again faced the tragic end of a season without a title. After the game, the Italian media "mediaset" gave Del Piero, who played the full 90 minutes, the highest score in the team - 6 points. Although the Juventus captain did not play a decisive role, he clearly did not give up, still delivering the most threatening passes, and becoming the player infringed upon the most by the opposing side. Unfortunately, under the circumstances where his teammates were not supportive, Del Piero's efforts ultimately turned into nothing. With their elimination from the Italian Cup, Juventus's hopes for winning a championship this season have basically been dashed, and the diligent Del Piero will once again taste the bitterness of not winning a title.
Despite not posing much of a threat to Roma's goal himself, Del Piero created multiple opportunities for his teammates. In the 15th minute of the game, the Juventus captain sent a through pass to Amauri in midfield, creating a one-on-one opportunity, but the latter missed due to unstable ball control. Subsequently, Del Piero took two free kicks in succession, but his teammates failed to get to the ball in time.
In the 30th minute, Del Piero shot from outside the penalty area, and the ball was tipped over the bar by Roma goalkeeper Sergio. This was one of Juventus's most threatening shots during the entire game. As the game entered its final stages, Del Piero almost gave his team a chance to equalize: in the 86th minute, Juventus earned a corner kick. Inside the penalty area, Del Piero was tackled by Roma defender Mexes while competing for position. From the slow-motion replay, this should indeed have been a penalty, but referee D'Amato did not make the call.
In the early hours of January 28th, the Coppa Italia saw a quarterfinal match contested, with Juventus losing 0-2 at home to Roma and being knocked out. Despite the斑马王子 (Black-and-White Prince) Del Piero playing the full match and putting in a decent performance, his teammates continued their lackluster form, leaving him unable to carry the team alone. He is very likely to go another season without a trophy this year.
After entering the new year, Juventus completely lost the fierce competitiveness they showed in the first half of the league season. They started off the post-winter break period with two consecutive league defeats. Although they found victory against weaker teams like Catania and Bari, Del Neri's team was held to a draw by Sampdoria in the last round of the league. The team's poor performance has led to low morale throughout the squad - except for one person, the team captain Del Piero. Facing a situation with no strikers available, the Black-and-White Prince stepped up, shouldering the responsibility of scoring goals; when the team's morale was low, the Black-and-White Prince stepped forward before the big game against Roma, encouraging the team to keep their heads high and look forward; and in this match, it was the Black-and-White Prince who stood up again.