The last match of the 1/4 finals of the Italian Cup brought real drama to the fans. The defending champion Bologna hosted Lazio at their home stadium, the Renato dall'Ara, but after regular time and extra time, luck went to the guests on penalties. As a result, Bologna said goodbye to the tournament, while Lazio secured a ticket to the semifinals.
The game started quite positively for Bologna in the first half. In the 30th minute, Castro put his team ahead - the mood in the stadium immediately rose, because scoring the first goal at home in a cup game is like crossing the halfway mark. Bologna tried to maintain this advantage, maintaining order in defense, trying to win the fight in the center.
But as the second half began, Lazio quickly responded. In the 48th minute, Noslin equalized the score - 1:1. After this goal, the spirit of the game changed: Bologna was in a hurry, and Lazio was confident. In the remaining minutes, both teams chose caution: one mistake could destroy their dream of a cup title all season.
The tie remained and the match went to a penalty shootout. Here, Lazio's mental preparedness and composure were felt: the team worked in "airplane mode", winning 4:1 on penalties. Bologna, on the other hand, missed a chance in the same series, staying at home - one of the most painful scenarios in football, to be honest.
Italian Cup. 1/4 finals
Bologna - Lazio 1:1
Penalty shootout - 1:4.
February 11, "Renato dall'Ara"
Goals: Castro (30) - Noslin (48).
Bologna - Skorupski, Zortea, Witik, Lucumi (Helland, 80), Miranda, Moro (Freuler, 62), Ferguson, Orsolini, Odgor (Som, 70), Cambiagi (Bernardeschi, 70), Castro (Dallinga, 80).
Lazio - Provedel, Marusic, Gila, Romagnoli, Pellegrini (Tavares, 79), Dele-Bashiru, Rovella (Cataldi, 61), Taylor, Isaksen (Cancelleri, 79), Pedro, Maldini (Dia, 61).
Warnings: Gila (9), Castro (47), Miranda (74), Tavares (86), Vitic (90+1).
Now, in the semi-finals, Lazio faces a very difficult obstacle: Sarri's team will play Atalanta for a place in the final. In the other semi-final, Inter and Como will face each other. The excitement of the cup is just beginning: at this stage, it is not the "name" that decides, but the character and the small details.
For Bologna, this defeat is a heavy blow, but it does not end the season. Exiting the cup is painful, but if you draw the right conclusions, you can come back even stronger on the next fronts. Fans know this well: sometimes the hardest night is the "accelerator" for the next big victories.
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