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• Allegri says Juventus are victims of own success after clinching Coppa Italia final berth

  Massimiliano Allegri declared Juventus have been victims of their own success this season after watching his Bianconeri side eliminate Lazio to reach the Coppa Italia final on Tuesday. 

  Juventus took a 2-0 lead into Tuesday's semi-final second leg at Stadio Olimpico but saw that advantage wiped out when Valentin Castellanos scored either side of half-time.

  However, a late strike from Arkadiusz Milik handed Juventus a 3-2 aggregate success and ensured they will appear in their eighth Coppa Italia final in the last 10 years.

  Despite Juventus having a chance to lift their first major trophy since 2021 and being on course for a return to the Champions League, Allegri has continued to be criticised by sections of the media.

  He believes Tuesday's achievement should be celebrated, however, saying: "It's never easy to reach a final, in the last three years we have played two Coppa Italia finals. 

  "Now we must concentrate on Serie A, as we have not yet achieved Champions League qualification and this weekend it's the head-to-head with Milan."

  Juventus sit third in Serie A ahead of Saturday's home clash with the Rossoneri, and with Italy guaranteed five Champions League places for next season, they are almost certain to be back among Europe's elite in 2024-25.

  However, Juventus' drop-off in the second half of the season has led to continued speculation regarding Allegri's future.

  At the turn of the year, Juventus were just two points behind Inter at the top of the table, but the Nerazzurri are now 22 points clear of their rivals and have clinched the Scudetto with five games to spare.

  Allegri believes a fine start to the season gave rise to unreasonable expectations in Turin, adding: "This final is also worth Supercoppa Italiana qualification, so that is important financially. 

  "Criticism will always be around Juventus, but it's our own fault for having a great first half to the season that nobody was expecting. 

  "At that point, people thought we could fight it out with Inter, but I was worried that we could have difficulties in the second half. We had a big advantage and mentally rather let go."

  Juventus will face either Atalanta or Fiorentina in next month's final, with the Viola holding a 1-0 lead in the other semi-final tie ahead of Wednesday's second leg in Bergamo. 

• Grant McCann hails ‘outstanding’ response as Doncaster close on play-off spot

  Grant McCann was a proud man after Doncaster won 4-1 at Colchester to register a 10th straight victory and move into the play-off places.

  Colchester took a ninth-minute lead through Jayden Fevrier, who converted Tom Hopper’s cross at the far post, but remain in relegation danger after Rovers’ emphatic comeback.

  Luke Molyneux equalised after collecting Jamie Sterry’s short free-kick and scoring with a low 25-yard shot and Doncaster took a 22nd-minute lead through Harrison Biggins, who netted from close range from Molyneux’s delivery.

  Tom Anderson netted a third in the 76th minute at the near post from Hakeeb Adelakun’s pass, and Joe Ironside sealed victory when he converted after Sam Hornby had tipped James Maxwell’s shot onto a post.

  A point on the final day against Gillingham will seal a play-off spot regardless of results elsewhere and McCann said: “I’m really proud.

  “Obviously conceding early wasn’t ideal for us but the response was outstanding.

  “We scored two very good goals, the first one from Mols (Molyneux) and the second one was another very good goal and something we knew could help us in the game, Biggo’s (Biggins) runs from the centre circle in between the posts after good play by Mols.

  “In the first half, we were a little bit edgy and it was a little bit even Steven in the game.

  “But in the second half, we were really comfortable and scored another couple of really good goals.

  “We always play for more goals; we never sit tight and take what we’ve got – that’s just the way we like to go about things.

  “We came up against a team that’s obviously down the wrong end of the table and we knew it was going to be tough.”

  Fevrier had Colchester on track to secure survival but they go into Saturday’s final game just three points above the drop zone, with their goal difference superior by four over Sutton.

  Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “It was a tough night for us.

  “We have the ability to self-harm, to self-destruct, in a game where we let four terrible goals in.

  “For 75 minutes, it was 2-1 and they’ve had three shots at goal, two from 30 yards, and somehow they’re winning the game.

  “We were 2-1 down at half-time where we felt we shouldn’t have been, as we’d done a lot right.

  “We were in total ascendency and they don’t even want to score any more goals, they want to hang onto what they’ve got and we gift them another two goals.

  “I’ve just looked back at the goals and they’re very hard to defend.

  “We actually played well box to box but you can’t say you’ve played well when we’ve conceded the goals that we have.

  “It’s a damaging night and I’m really angry. We just did the basics so poorly.”

• Barrow must stick together in quest to secure play-off spot – Pete Wild

  Barrow boss Pete Wild stressed his side must stick together to secure a League Two play-off spot on the final day of the season.

  The Bluebirds suffered a fifth defeat in a painful six-game winless run with a last-gasp 2-1 loss to Bradford.

  It means they have to get a result when they host promoted Mansfield on Saturday.

  Bobby Pointon opened the scoring with a great strike in the first half before Kian Spence levelled with a free-kick after the break.

  But former on-loan Barrow forward Tyler Smith came off the bench to score a bruising stoppage-time winner against his old club.

  And Wild said: “We didn’t do anything with or without the ball. We were frustrated at half-time. I told them ‘we’ve got to have a go and try to get over the line’.

  “We played really well second half, had a go, came out fighting and got the goal, but it wasn’t enough.

  “We were on the front foot. We kept trying to throw subs on to put impetus into the game and you get hit by a sucker punch at the end.

  “We had four chances to clear the ball and that’s been the month hasn’t it. There have been key moments in game, chances and opportunities with the football and we’ve not done that.

  “We weren’t getting a glove on them and we had to try and be braver, second half.

  “I will never make it about them, it’s about us. We’re all a collective. We will win together and lose together and that’s how we’ve gone through the season.

  “What we have to do now is just stick together and try to keep going.

  “Across the last four games you have seen glimpses of us, but not enough of us across a full 90 minutes to get over the line.”

  The Bantams were indebted to Sheffield-born Smith’s late winner for their fourth-straight win.

  Boss Graham Alexander said: “I’m pleased that the players have once again showed character and personality to once again get a win from a game we should never have been drawing anyway.

  “We were brilliant in the first half and should have been two or three up. But we weren’t and a good team like Barrow are going to come back into it and have a spell of pressure and momentum.

  “Ultimately they got a goal from it. From our perspective it’s a poor one to concede going through the wall.

  “Our performance became a bit flat after that. They had real quality and gained chances.

  “The subs that came on halted their momentum.

  “They were going for it as well and it was going to be (down to) who had that quality to score.

  “To be fair to Tyler, he would have been under massive pressure in his own head, but he stuck it in the corner so fair play to him.”