Atalanta will play in the final of the Coppa Italia after coming back from a draw against Fiorentina (4-1) in a result not for the faint of heart. After a 1-0 score in the first leg, a goal awarded by VAR in extra time decided the semi-final in favor of Dea.
Next May 15, at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the team Gian Piero Gasperini They will compete against Juventus for the second Cup in their history, after the one achieved in 1963, in their sixth final, first since 2021. Atalanta are also looking to reach the final of the Europa League. Marseille is their opponent in the semifinals.
The Koopmeiners were about to score
Fiorentina started better but could not stop Atalanta from immediately believing in the comeback with a goal, the 14th of the season, from Teun Koopmeiners, who took advantage of Rolando Mandragora’s out-of-control ball to escape the counter and cross before Pietro Terracciano left.
It was the 8th minute and, just five minutes later, Atalanta celebrated the second goal, the work of Gianluca Scamacca with a whip that went into the corner, but the referee, at the request of VAR, disallowed it due to a stomp by Koopmeiners to Luca Beltrán.
Atalanta forgave
Despite the blow, Atalanta remained superior thanks to the omnipresent Koopmeiners, forcing Terracciano to show off to cover his shot in half a turn. Before the break Charles De Ketelaere and Matteo Ruggeri had clear chances to make it 2-0 but they could not direct their attempts between the three sticks.
After the break the tone was maintained. Atalanta continued to carry the brunt of the match and prevented Fiorentina from playing their characteristic association football, but at the same time they continued to fall short of success, as with a header from an unmarked Ruggeri after Davide Zappacosta’s cross which expanded (49′).
Red to Milenkovic but Martínez Quarta tied
Atalanta seemed to face a tie during the referee Central defender Nikola Milenkovic was sent off with a straight red card for knocking down Scamacca when he was facing the goal (53′).
Vicenzo Italiano retired Andrea Belotti to bring on Lucas Martínez Qauarta and, what things are, the Argentine is tied for Fiorentina after a quarter of an hour when he finished off a Cristiano Biraghi free kick with a powerful header (68′).
Great goal from Scamacca
Fiorentina, outnumbered, had no choice but to defend themselves and fight until, in the 75th minute, De Ketelaere dropped a ball and put it in their way. Scamacca, who scored a great goal with a fantastic scissors kick.
Lookman, with added thanks to VAR
Atalanta went all out but, as in the whole match, failed in definition. When everything points to extra time and the addition is about to run out, Ademola Lookman scored on a counterattack. The goal was initially disallowed for offside but was awarded by VAR to the delight of the fans.
In the end there was time for 4-1, the work of Mario Pasalic in a desperate Fiorentina. Atalanta will fight for its second title in its entire history, while Fiorentina’s first option at the end of the season is gone, which will be the second Coppa in a row after losing in 2023 against Inter. Now they have the Europa League, where they will face Club Brugge in the semifinals.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
