Bologna reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a late 1-0 win over Atalanta in Bergamo, keeping their unbeaten run in all competitions since the start of the year intact.
The first chance of the game came early, with Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere getting on the end of a through ball and hitting a powerful shot, but Bologna’s goalkeeper, Łukasz Skorupski, made a brilliant save.
Bologna soon grew into the game and had several chances, with Jens Odgaard firing just wide from the edge of the box. Unfortunately, Odgaard was forced off with an injury and replaced by Benjamín Domínguez. Both teams had more opportunities before half-time, with Atalanta’s Isak Hien shooting just wide, and Jhon Lucumí testing Rui Patrício with a long-range effort that was comfortably saved.
The second half started with Atalanta on top, and Skorupski made another crucial save, getting low to deny Raoul Bellanova. Mario Pašalić also had a shot from outside the box, but the Bologna goalkeeper was quick to gather. Bologna’s first chance of the second half came just after the hour mark when Tommaso Pobega fired inches wide from inside the box.
Atalanta continued to pressure in the final stages, with Skorupski making several more saves to deny Marco Brescianini and Daniel Maldini. Bologna, however, remained dangerous on the counter-attack, and Rui Patrício made a great save to deny Emil Holm. With just 10 minutes left, Bologna finally took the lead through Santiago Castro, who scored with a header from a free-kick, sending the away fans into celebration.
The win means Bologna can now dream of reaching their first Coppa Italia final since 1974, while also extending their winning run at Atalanta to three straight victories.
