The first leg of the 2023-2024 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa semi-final saw the hosts win 1-0 at the Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence thanks to a first-half goal from Mandragora.
After Carnesecchi muted a couple of chances for Fiorentina, namely Beltran’s angled drive on 23 minutes and Nico Gonzalez’s cross-shot on 25 minutes, it was Mandragora who broke the deadlock for the hosts with a swerving strike from distance. On the stroke of half-time, Nico Gonzalez’s left-footed curler went wide.
The Nerazzurri came out fighting in the second half and threatened early on when Koopmeiners’ corner found Hien, whose shot was tipped around the post by Terracciano in the 49th minute. Carnesecchi’s work for the evening was far from over as the Atalanta goalkeeper denied Nico Gonzalez a 57th-minute header and a 63rd-minute angled shot to double the hosts’ lead. The Nerazzurri came close to equalising on 67 minutes: Lookman’s pass sent Bakker through on goal, but the Dutchman shot wide of the far post. Three minutes later, Ranieri shot wide from a corner. The Nerazzurri went all out in the final minutes but Scamacca’s 80th-minute effort from the edge of the box only stung Terracciano’s gloves.
The return leg is scheduled for 24 April at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo. Tomorrow, Thursday 4 April, the team will begin preparations for Sunday’s league clash with Cagliari with a morning training session behind closed doors at the Centro Bortolotti.
FIORENTINA 1-0 ATALANTA
Scorer: Mandragora 31 (F).
Fiorentina: Terracciano, Kayode, Milenkovic, Ranieri, Parisi, Bonaventura, Mandragora, Nico Gonzalez, Beltran (Arthur 78), Kouame, Belotti (Ikoné 85). Unused bench: Martinelli, Christensen, Dodo, Biraghi, Sottil, Maxime Lopez, Castrovilli, Nzola, Infantino, Faraoni, Duncan, Comuzzo, Barak. Coach: Vincenzo Italiano.
Atalanta: Carnesecchi, Djimsiti, Hien, Kolašinac, Holm (Hateboer 88), de Roon, Pašalić (Éderson 46), Ruggeri (Bakker 60), Koopmeiners, Miranchuk (Scamacca 46), Lookman (El Bilal 78). Unused bench: Musso, Rossi, Toloi, Palomino, Adopo, Zappacosta. Coach: Tullio Gritti (Gian Piero Gasperini suspended).
Referee: Maurizio Mariani from Aprilia.
Assistant referees: Alessio Berti from Prato and Marco Scatragli from Arezzo.
Fourth official: Luca Sacchi from Macerata.
V.A.R.: Valerio Marini from Roma 1.
A.V.A.R.: Simone Sozza from Seregno.
Notes: Miranchuk (A), Mandragora (F), De Roon (A), Kouame (F) and Scamacca (A) booked
