In the 2020-2021 Coppa Italia quarter-finals Atalanta beat Lazio 3-2 at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo and go through to the semifinals where they will face the winner between Napoli and Spezia. A great feat won after being down to ten men for most of the second half.
The deadlock was broken after seven minutes: Djimsiti found the winning deflection after Reina’s save on Palomino’s right-foot shot. The Nerazzurri got dangerous again on 10 with Muriel who turned inside the box, but Reina denied him. On 17 Lazio equalised through Muriqi’s header to make it 1-1. It was an eventful match and the visitors took the lead on 35 after Acerbi’s personal move to beat Gollini. It took only two minutes and a splendid Muriel move on the right to lay it off for Malinovskyi, who made it 2-2 before half-time.
In the second half, after a chance for Miranchuk (a header straight at the goalkeeper), the Nerazzurri went down to ten men after Palomino was sent off straight for pushing Lazzari who was through on goal. But also being one man down, the Nerazzurri took the lead through Miranchuk, who was set up by Romero who won the ball back in the midfield. On 67 there was a great chance to score another one: Hoedt took down Zapata in the box, Atalanta were given a penalty, but Reina read it well and saved the Colombian’s shot from the spot. Lazio pushed in the final minutes trying to equalise, but Gollini was excellent at saving Acerbi’s header at the death and that sealed the semifinals.
ATALANTA 3-2 LAZIO
Scorers: Djimsiti 7 (A), Muriqi 17 (L), Acerbi 35 (L), Malinovskyi 37 (A), Miranchuk 57 (A).
Atalanta: Gollini, Djimsiti, Romero, Palomino, Mæhle (Caldara 88), Pessina, Freuler, Gosens, Malinovskyi (Zapata 59), Miranchuk (de Roon 59), Muriel (Toloi 63). Bench: Rossi, Sportiello, Šutalo, Lammers, Ruggeri, Scalvini, Gyabuaa, Iličić. Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini.
Lazio: Reina, Patric (Parolo 46), Hoedt (Immobile 70), Acerbi, Marusic, Milinkovic-Savic, Escalante (Correa 62), Akpa Akpro, Fares (Lazzari 46), A. Pereira (Lulic 81), Muriqi. Bench: Alia, G. Pereira, Armini, Radu, Cataldi, Czyz, Vavro. Coach: Simone Inzaghi.
Referee: Luca Pairetto from Nichelino.
Assistants: Alberto Tegoni from Milano and Valentino Fiorito from Salerno.
IV ufficiale: Gianluca Manganiello from Pinerolo.
V.A.R.: Aleandro Di Paolo from Avezzano.
A.V.A.R.: Alessandro Lo Cicero from Brescia.
Notes: on 67 Reina (L) saves Zapata’s penalty (A); Palomino sent off on 53 (A), Romero (A), Malinovskyi (A), Patric (L), Fares (L), Escalante (L) booked.
