Bologna showed great resilience and defeat Milan in Coppa Italia finals thanks to the goal of Dan Ndoye.
Hernandez steps up and cheekily nutmegs Holm close to the touchline, but Bologna’s Swedish full-back cuts him off mid-run. Deep in their own half, Milan receives a free kick.
The winger’s cutback from the left byline finds Jimenez in the six-yard area after Rafael Leao makes a spectacular dash into the box. But the ball scuds high over the crossbar because he is unable to wrap his foot around it! A fantastic early scoring opportunity.
Bologna danger man Orsolini appears on the left side of the area and appears to connect with a throughball, but Maignan dashes out and just manages to divert the ball away, continuing the exciting start to this final. The assistant’s flag is raised for offside regardless of the initial demands for a penalty.
From his position on the left touchline, Ndoye drifts the ball inside before laying it off for Ferguson to score. The first time, the Scottish midfielder hits it, launching his attempt from about 20 yards out over the crossbar.
Maignan is called out for action once more. This time, Miranda throws in a curling ball from out wide, and Milan’s captain leaps down to parry Castro’s glancing header. It’s a fantastic save with outstanding reactions.
Bologna avoids a serious scare. After a moment of commotion in the box, Jovic volleys the ball goalwards from close range, but Skorupski miraculously manages to stop it from crossing his goal line.
When Holm lets go of Orsolini along the right wing, Pavlovic is there to make a crucial block. Milan eventually escapes from the back when the latter’s dangerous cross is stopped.
Miranda takes it short after Castro earns a corner kick on the right, passing to Ferguson and then scuffing a feeble shot directly at Maignan. A promising set-piece scenario is wasted.
The ball swings away from its intended target and gives Bologna a throw-in when Jovic drops deep to spray a bad pass out towards wing-back Jimenez, who is marauding down the right touchline.
Rafael Leao gets away from his right marker and latches onto a Jimenez throughball, but his shot misses the far post as he is ultimately caught barely offside.
Castro deftly wins Bologna a free-kick on the left, about 35 yards from goal, after drawing Fofana into a late challenge. At full stretch, Jovic heads behind Miranda’s cross into the box, giving the Rossoblu another opportunity. The ball is rolled over for Ferguson after the corner kick, which is taken short towards Ndoye. From about twenty yards away, Bologna’s captain lashes high over the target once more.
Ferguson slips in and upends Rafael Leao as Milan tries to counter quickly, earning him a yellow card. From now on, he will need to exercise caution, which is difficult while a midfield duel is raging.
Rafael Leao pulls no fewer than four defenders before delivering a low cross from the left, sending Bologna’s defense into a frenzy. A corner is lost when Lucumi chops it out. The set-piece scenario then becomes meaningless.
Holm and Orsolini work together to take the ball deep within their own defensive third before working it away from imminent danger as Rafael Leao threatens once more.
The Coppa Italia final in 2025 is led by the Rossoblu. When the ball comes sweetly to him from a rebound, Ndoye, who scored the game-winning goal when these teams met at Dall’Ara earlier this season, maintains his composure to dodge his man and shoot beyond Maignan. The Emilian team is on the brink of history as Bologna defeats Milan 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico.
Milan, the comeback kings, launch an attack right away. Rafael Leao’s amazing bicycle kick is mishit and goes wide as Jimenez lofts a hanging cross up towards him from the right near the back post.
Bologna’s defense is opened by a lung-bursting 60-yard charge from Fofana, but the Milan midfielder’s pass for Jovic is a little off, preventing the Serbian striker from directing his sliding shot towards the goal.
Holm intervenes to steer the ball behind after Rafael Leao rushes to the left byline to force a corner kick. However, Joao Felix clumsily misses the left-hand post with his effort after the set-piece.
Gimenez deflects a low Hernandez cross goalward from just inside Bologna’s box, and Skorupski drops down to make a simple stop. Castro launches himself at the opposite end a few seconds later, sending a rocket upwards over Maignan’s crossbar.
Pulisic beats three players to race into the area and nearly shoot, but the ball eludes him at the last second, allowing Skorupski to rush out and make a smothering stop at the feet of the American striker.
Pobega puts the Swiss winger into space on the edge of the box, and Ndoye attempts his second goal, flashing a first-time strike several yards wide of the left-hand post.
Miranda runs into space and feeds Pobega on the left side of Milan’s box, but the low cross from the player is deflected out of reach. Milan may be caught off guard if they don’t take chances immediately.
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