Juventus' Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo challenges Roma's Italian defender Gianluca Mancini (right) during the Italian Serie A football match Juventus vs AS Roma on Feb 6, 2021 at the Juventus stadium in Turin. (ISABELLA BONOTTO / AFP)

ROME - Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo says his team must win at all costs when they face rivals Inter Milan in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday.

Juventus' improved recent form has helped the Turin club rise to third in the Serie A standings

The Italian champions go into the game with a slender advantage after beating Inter 2-1 in the first leg in Milan last week thanks to a double from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Pirlo’s side followed that up with a 2-0 Serie A win over AS Roma on Saturday to extend their winning run to six games in all competitions ahead of the decisive cup tie.

“We must play like the Juve we’ve seen in the last few games,” Pirlo told Juventus TV.

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“It’s the second round of a great tie that will give us the chance to reach the final. It’s an objective that we must achieve at all costs.

“It will be a difficult match, a battle. But we’re ready for it.”

Juventus had a slow start to the season in Pirlo’s first campaign as a coach, but their improved recent form has helped the Turin club rise to third in the standings, five points behind second-placed Inter with a game in hand.

“We will need to go out there with the attitude of being equals,” Pirlo said.

“We’re starting from 0-0, we can’t still be thinking about the first leg victory. This is like a final so we must have the attitude of an aggressive team that knows what it wants.

“We need to be focused; the objective is too important to let it get away.”