Bologna stand just 90 minutes away from their first Coppa Italia final since the 1973/74 season after a dominant 3-0 win over Empoli in the first leg of their semi-final clash. With momentum on their side, Vincenzo Italiano’s men will look to capitalize on their lead and extend a remarkable unbeaten home run that stretches back to the start of the year (W8, D2).
While their recent form has been mixed—posting a win, draw, and loss against Italy’s top-three sides—the weekend’s hard-fought 1-0 win over Inter Milan served as a timely boost ahead of this decisive second leg. Bologna’s cup run has been built on solid defensive foundations, with the Rossoblù yet to concede in this year’s tournament. Furthermore, they’ve led at halftime in two of their three Coppa Italia victories—something they’ll look to replicate as they aim to put the tie beyond reach early.
For manager Vincenzo Italiano, this matchup with Empoli brings added familiarity, having played out more draws (6) against them than any other opponent in his career (W3, D6, L2). That trend continued in the league this season, with both meetings between the sides ending in stalemates.
Empoli, meanwhile, are clinging to survival hopes on multiple fronts. Roberto D’Aversa’s side is battling relegation and would need to pull off one of the greatest turnarounds in Coppa Italia semi-final history to reach the final—something not achieved since Inter’s failed comeback in 2016. Empoli haven’t won a match in open play since early December, with their only recent success coming via penalties in the quarter-finals.
D’Aversa’s personal record against Bologna offers little comfort—he’s failed to win any of his 13 meetings with them (D6, L7), the worst such record against any opponent in his career. Still, Empoli have become draw specialists on the road, taking a point from three of their last five away games, including a dramatic 1-1 draw against Juventus in the last round.
Players to Watch:
Thijs Dallinga was the star of the first leg, scoring twice and doubling his domestic tally for the season. He has a knack for leveling the scoreline, doing so in seven of his last ten scoring appearances. On the other side, Empoli’s Sebastiano Esposito has scored in seven of his last eight away performances—but his goals haven’t always led to success, with Empoli failing to win any of the last four matches in which he scored (D1, L3).
Hot Stat:
Bologna have scored in both halves in 15 of their 36 domestic matches this season—a league-high 42% rate in Serie A, underscoring their ability to maintain attacking pressure throughout the match.
With history and home form heavily favoring Bologna, Empoli will need nothing short of a miracle to derail their opponent’s dream return to the Coppa Italia final.
