Fiorentina reaches the semi-finals of the Italian Cup for the third consecutive year. To get through the quarter-finals they had to suffer against Bologna and prevail only 5-4 after penalties in the Apennine derby, thanks to Maxime Lopez's conversion after Posch's error. The team coached by Italian will now await the winner of the match between Milan and Atalanta.
The match
For the match against Franchi, the Italian opts for a three-man defense and up front relies on the Ikone-Beltran tandem with Duncan and Barak alongside Maxime Lopez in midfield. On the other side Thiago Motta does not give up Zirkzee up front with Orsolini, Ferguson and Saelemaekers in support with Aebischer preferred to Moro in midfield.
Very tactical and hard-fought first half with two well placed teams, little space and consequently few opportunities. However, two important ones arrived, one on each side. In the 18th minute Kayode challenges Skorupski from the edge with a powerful outside shot and in the 34th minute Zirkzee chipped the crossbar after a play in the penalty area on Milenkovic and the falling left foot that touched the top of the goal. In the 26th minute Viola had also asked for a penalty after Ikone collapsed in the area under pressure from Lucumi, the referee Marchetti signaled him to get up.
At the start of the second half, Thiago Motta's team started better, hitting the woodwork again in the 50th minute with Orsolini placing a left-footed shot from 20 metres, but the post saved Christensen. In the 66th minute another opportunity for Bologna with Saelemaekers serving Ferguson in the area but the left-footed shot to the near post was stopped by Christensen. In the 75th minute Kayode's cross, Mandragora is unable to apply strength with his head and Skorupski blocks. In the 95th minute the sensational action of Fiorentina arrives: from a corner a melee breaks out in the rossoblu area, conclusion from the edge of Maxime Lopez, a series of rebounds and the ball headed under goal by Martinez Quarta but Skorupski saves instinctively and takes the challenge in extra time.
At the start of extra time, in the 94th minute Zirkzee increased the number of woodwork hit by the rossoblu to three. Calafiori recovers the ball in the midfield, Saelemaekers finishes for Zirkzee, but the left foot is touched by Christensen on the post. Then Quarta in the 103rd minute wastes another big opportunity on corner developments. In the second period of extra time in the 112th minute, Zirkzee passes the ball to Orsolini who carries the ball forward with his heel but Christensen manages to close the target in the area. Nothing to do and after 120' it goes to penalties. Ferguson, Mandragora, Zirkzee score in succession. Arthur, Orsolini, Milenkovic, Calafiori, Mina. Then the decisive error comes from rossoblu Posch who sends it high over the crossbar. Maxime Lopez then takes the spot and makes no mistakes and gives the Viola the semi-final.
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