Atalanta needed two goals in stoppages and a stunning Gianluca Scamacca volley to finally break down 10-man Fiorentina and book a Coppa Italia Final with Juventus.
The Viola won the first leg 1-0 on April 3 thanks to a Rolando Mandragora screamer from over 30 yards and these were the only teams still remaining in both the Coppa Italia and their European tournaments. M’Bala Nzola, Giorgio Scalvini, Emil Holm and Rafael Toloi missed out, with Gian Piero Gasperini sitting out a touchline ban.
These sides were meant to meet in Serie A here on March 17, but it was called off when Fiorentina director Joe Barone collapsed in the team hotel, dying two days later in hospital. That fixture has still not been rescheduled.
See how the game unfolded on the Liveblog.
Despite their advantage, Fiorentina still pushed from the start, testing Marco Carnesecchi with Nico Gonzalez and Andrea Belotti, but Atalanta took the lead with their first attempt instead.
A Gianluca Scamacca through ball released Teun Koopmeiners on the counter-attack through the centre and he kept his cool to beat Pietro Terracciano one-on-one into the far bottom corner to level the tie on aggregate.
Koopmeiners strikes early for Atalanta! ⚫🔵
La Dea get the start they needed against Fiorentina and this Semi-Final is level on aggregate 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZJ7xdvajWN
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 24, 2024
Atalanta had the ball in the net again soon after with a scorcher from Scamacca into the top corner from the edge of the area, but it was disallowed following a VAR review for a previous Koopmeiners foul on Lucas Beltran.
Berat Djimsiti prevented Jack Bonaventura nodding in the Dodo cross, while Terracciano denied Koopmeiners on the turn and Charles De Ketelaere scraped a coat of paint off the upright after combining with Scamacca.
Matteo Ruggeri should’ve done better when steering the header wide from six yards on a Davide Zappacosta cross, but Fiorentina went down to 10 men when Nikola Milenkovic mistimed the tackle to trip Scamacca on the edge of the box as he was preparing to shoot from a De Ketelaere through ball. It was a clear scoring opportunity and the referee did not hesitate to bring out the red card.
As straightforward a red card as you'll see! 🟥
Scamacca is taken down by Milenkovic and Fiorentina are down to 10 men 😬 pic.twitter.com/GI6spXYNKs
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 24, 2024
However, despite being down to 10, Fiorentina equalised on the night and went in front on aggregate when Cristiano Biraghi’s free kick found Lucas Martinez Quarta for a completely free header at the back post.
Completely against the run of play, and a man down, Fiorentina take the advantage back! 😮
Martinez Quarta with a brilliant header to restore the Viola's aggregate lead 🟣 pic.twitter.com/yANqPjQwku
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 24, 2024
It wasn’t over, as De Ketelaere nodded on a Ruggeri cross, it bounced on the ground and Scamacca acrobatically thumped in a scissor-kick volley from 12 yards to restore parity on aggregate.
SCAMACCA! 😱😱
"He is BRILLIANT!" 🎙️
He had a screamer disallowed by VAR in the first half, so he went ahead and scored another to restore Atalanta's lead on the night ⚫🔵 pic.twitter.com/ElwXinUUcw
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 24, 2024
Scamacca was booked for stepping on Nico Gonzalez’s foot, so will be suspended for the Final. Atalanta kept wasting chances to win it in regular time, as Ademola Lookman scuffed a finish and De Ketelaere blasted over on the counter-attack.
Pietro Comuzzo did enough to stop Scamacca tapping in the Aleksei Miranchuk roll across from the right, but deep into stoppages Lookman had the ball in the net with an angled drive after he was flagged offside on the Scamacca through ball. Following a very long VAR check, news came through that he was not offside and Atalanta took a 3-1 lead on the night, 3-2 on aggregate.
Ademola Lookman sends Atalanta into the Coppa Italia final at the death! ⚫🔵
Originally ruled out for offside, a VAR review confirmed the goal and it's party time in Bergamo 🎉 pic.twitter.com/giJyyQrAkX
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 24, 2024
As 10-man Fiorentina poured forward, they were caught out again on the counter-attack by Scamacca and Lookman sending Mario Pasalic through to delicately dink it over Terracciano.
Atalanta 4-1 Fiorentina (4-2 agg)
Koopmeiners 8 (A), Martinez Quarta 68 (F), Scamacca 75 (A), Lookman 96 (A), Pasalic 98 (A)
Sent off: Milenkovic 53 (F)
Player statistic
| Teun Koopmeiners |  |
8' | ||
| 43' |  |
Rolando Mandragora |
| 53' |  |
Nikola Milenkovic | ||
| Sead Kolasinac | |
56' | ||
| 68' | |
Lucas Martínez Quarta (Assist: Cristiano Biraghi) | ||
| 69' | |
Dodô | ||
| Gianluca Scamacca (Assist: Charles De Ketelaere) |
|
75' | ||
| Gianluca Scamacca | |
80' | ||
| Ademola Lookman | |
90+7' | ||
| Mario Pasalic (Assist: Ademola Lookman) |
|
90+8' |
