Palermo beat Mantova 5-2 at the Barbera to book their place in the last 16 of the Coppa Italia, where they will face Bologna in a one-off tie at the Dall’Ara. The victory came at the end of a game of two distinct halves: Palermo dominated the opening period, were pegged back after the interval, but regained their composure late on to finally put the tie beyond doubt.
Palermo made a fast start and took the lead in the ninth minute. Gomes found Strefezza, who received the ball inside the penalty area, cut onto his left foot and beat Bardi with a precise finish. The Rosanero continued to press for a second and came close in the 21st minute, when Vavassori’s effort was kept out by Bardi following a counter-attack orchestrated by Estevez.
Mantova attempted to respond, but Palermo remained in control. The second goal arrived deep into first-half stoppage time. In the 49th minute, Vavassori was brought down inside the area and the referee awarded a penalty. Palumbo stepped up and made no mistake, sending Bardi the wrong way to make it 2-0.
Mantova appeared to have pulled one back before the break when Gliozzi found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The second half, however, completely transformed the game. Mantova returned with greater aggression and quickly dragged themselves back into the contest. Seven minutes after the restart, substitute Ruocco reduced the deficit. Just three minutes later, Kouda levelled the score, capitalising on a spell in which Palermo were struggling to regain their footing.
The Rosanero risked losing control altogether, but they restored their lead in the 70th minute. Johnsen won possession and handled the counter-attack intelligently before setting up Pohjanpalo, who made it 3-2 from close range.
Palermo gradually regained control and, in the closing stages, secured their place in the next round. In the 89th minute, Pohjanpalo released Segre into space. The midfielder beat his man before finding Johnsen, who tapped into an empty net to make it 4-2.
There was still time for a fifth in stoppage time. A mistake by Bardi presented Vavassori with an opportunity, before the Mantova goalkeeper brought him down. Pohjanpalo reacted quickest to the loose ball and completed his brace, putting the final score beyond doubt at 5-2.
Palermo can now celebrate reaching the last 16 of the Coppa Italia. Standing in their way will be Bologna, with the Rosanero travelling to the Dall’Ara for a winner-takes-all tie that evokes memories of the club’s glory days in Serie A.
This article was produced in collaboration with Palermo Calcio English News
Questo articolo è stato realizzato in collaborazione con Palermo Calcio English News
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