Bergamo, 24 April 2024 – Atalanta And Florentine they meet again about twenty days later for the semi-final return of Italian Cup 2023/2024. In the first leg it was decided by a goal of Mandrake, the only goal in a match that provided many emotions and entertainment. The team of Vincent Italian he knows that a single goal advantage is very little, especially if the team is on the other side Gian Piero Gasperini. The theater of contention is the Gewiss Stadium which, packed in every row of seats, will certainly be a factor in favor of the Goddess. Also present were many Viola supporters who arrived from Tuscany. On the lineup side, starting from the hosts there is confirmation for De Ketelaeretogether with Scamaccathere in front with Koopmeiners who will act as an attacking midfielder. As for Fiorentina, exactly as announced on the eve: 4-2-3-1 with Biraghi for Parisi compared to the first leg in the lane, while the trio was behind in front Belotti And Nico, Beltran and Kouamè. All under the orders of Mr There Quill.
First half
We start in high gear at Gewiss, with Nico Gonzalez who tries from distance and warms up Carnesecchi’s gloves who blocks. In the 8th minute Atalanta goes ahead with Teun Koopmeiners! Dea’s first offensive outing, with a rebound that favors the midfielder who is good at running towards Terracciano, staying clear and beating him with his left foot. Now everything is equal in the total score: 1-1. The Italian team reacts immediately with Mandragora looking for the big target like in the first leg, but the ball ends up very far from the goal. Scamacca’s 2-0 in the 15th minute was canceled out at VAR! One of the main heroes of the Anfield match against Liverpool in the Europa League scores a beautiful goal from outside the area, but previously there was a foul tackle by Koopmeiners against Beltran which led to the ball recovered for the goal. The Italiano team did very well and, despite the goal conceded, were always there to create problems: the evening’s ex Jack Bonaventure he tries with his head, but Djimsiti says no with a fundamental intervention and then Belotti shoots high on the rebound. Enter the game De Ketelaere at 24′: escape on the left by the Belgian who then focuses and serves in the area at the height of the spot Koopmeiners who turns like a center forward, but doesn’t hit the ball well which lands comfortably in the arms of Terracciano. Lots of contrasts in the middle of the pitch, lots of fouls and intensity: these first 25 minutes of the match were beautiful. The Atalanta players gather around Nico Gonzalez, guilty of having simulated a tackle with Marco Carnesecchi who was coming out to intercept a cross from a Viola free kick, while his teammates from number 10 ask La Penna for explanations. Atalanta is also moving up the pace as they press Fiorentina high and with De Ketelaere he shows himself with a shot from the edge with the ball going just wide. Occasion Florentine on the counterattack, with Belotti working the ball, he goes from Koaume, the Ivorian goes for a shot but Hien counters it and blocks. He runs from side to side, at the 41st minute chance for theAtalanta: the action develops on the right lane, with Zappacosta entering the area from the back, towing Ruggeri who kicks high. First yellow of the match against Rolando Mandragora in the 43rd minute, he was booked and would therefore miss the eventual final. A good first half in Bergamo ends here: 1-0 between Atalanta and Fiorentina, so they would be extra time.
Second half
We start again, for now, with the same 22 of the first forty-five minutes. Touch Ruggeri doubles the lead in the 48th minute! Zappacosta flies away again, who puts it in high for the other winger who heads from an excellent position and goes wide. Here comes the episode that could decide the match: Milenkovic sent off in the 53rd minute for a last-man foul on Scamacca who had been thrown forward and had passed the Viola defender and was about to kick from the edge. Free kick from the edge for the Goddess, Scamacca shoots very hard onto the goalkeeper’s post but there is a deviation from the defense and a corner kick. Italiano necessarily changes: Belotti out and Martinez Quarta in. Nothing comes of shooting from the flag. The Italian is ready for another substitution, with Beltran leaving the field for Duncan: out an attacking midfielder and in a midfielder with more leg, less quality but capable of running up and down to do the two phases. De Roon also tries from the edge of the area after a challenge from De Ketelaere, but the attempt is imprecise. Now Fiorentina is mainly thinking about covering themselves and hoping for a restart, but since Milenkovic’s expulsion they have been playing with only one half of the pitch and the Dea still have 25 minutes more injury time to be able to look for what could be the qualifying goal. Lucas Martinez scored Quarta in the 67th minute, Fiorentina equalized! Incredible at Gewiss, in the only dangerous action of the Viola in the second half Hien fouls Kouamé who was restarting, free kick from the left over thirty meters from the goal, Biraghi bowls and Quarta breaks away completely undisturbed inside the area. Now it is 1-1 and, with this score, Fiorentina would go to the final. Goal in the most difficult moment of the guests’ match. The Gritti-Gasperini pair also changes (remember that the Nerazzurri coach is expelled and, therefore, his deputy is on the bench): Ederson and Kolasinac are out, Lookman and Pasalic are in, so De Roon steps up in defense and the structure becomes much more offensive. Atalanta are pressing very hard and must necessarily score to force extra time, there are still fifteen minutes to go plus injury time and so far the Italian block is holding its own. Third substitution for the hosts: Miranchuk for Zappacosta, it will practically be a siege. What a goal Gianluca Scamacca scored in the 75th minute! Out of nowhere, a phenomenal goal from the former Sassuolo center forward: cross from the left, De Ketelaere attempts a header, there is only one way to hit it given the height, that is reversed and this is done by Scamacca who puts it in and Terracciano remains motionless. A quarter of an hour plus recovery, she’s still very long. Triple Viola substitution with seven to go: Kayode, Ikoné and the very young defender Pietro Comuzzo, replacing Koaumè, Dodo and Mandragora. Pasalic devours it with five to go! Action that starts with a throw to Lookman who goes up in tandem with Scamacca, the author of the 2-1 is served who then leaves it for Pasalic who controls badly inside the area and is unable to kick, here a bad mistake from the former Milan player . Lookman tries to turn with the left foot from inside the area, ball crushed a little too much and central, easy for Terracciano. Other failed match point, this time bad Charles De Ketelaere who on the counterattack goes 40 meters with the ball at his feet, arrives inside the area slightly moved to the left, without defensive pressure he kicks hard, too much, very high. Five minutes of injury time, the specter of additional time begins to hover which, given how things have turned out, would be gold for Fiorentina. Decisive save by Comuzzo on Scamacca: low cross from the right for the 90, the young defender stays with the attacker and closes the door. Ademola Lookman scores in the last minute, but he’s offside! Neroazzurro counterattack, with Scamacca who goes very well from the Nigerian who however is stopped by the linesman’s flag. It occurs at Var. The semi-final could be decided here. Network validated! 3-1 Atalanta, Ademola Lookman’s is not offside. The whole Gewiss Stadium goes crazy. In forcing Fiorentina Mario Pasalic closes it on the counterattack! 4-1 Atalanta. Goal on a pure counterattack, with Pasalic and his teammates finding themselves 2 against one and the 8 with the touch underneath beats Terracciano. It ends here, Atalanta 4-1 Fiorentina, a deficit that was far too heavy for what the Italian team showed. The Italian Cup final will be Juventus-Atalanta.
Scoreboards
Formations
Atalanta (3-4-1-2): Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Kolasinac (Pasalic, 70′); Zappacosta (Miranchuk, 74′), De Roon, Ederson (Lookman, 70′), Ruggeri; Koopmeiners; Scamacca, De Ketelaere. Fiorentina (4-2-3-1): Terracciano; Dodò (Comuzzo, 83′), Milenkovic, Ranieri, Biraghi; Bonaventura, Mandragora (Ikoné, 83′); Nico Gonzalez, Beltran (Duncan, 60′), Kouamé (Kayode, 83′); Belotti (Martinez Fourth, 55′).
Networks: Teun Koopmeiners (ATA) 8′, Lucas Martinez Quarta (FIO) 68′, Gianluca Scamacca (ATA) 75′, Ademola Lookman (ATA) 95′, Mario Pasalic (ATA) 97′
