Serie A

Coppa Italia | Fiorentina 2-2 Parma: Viola win on penalties

December 7, 2023

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Coppa Italia | Fiorentina 2-2 Parma: Viola win on penalties

Fiorentina came back from 2-0 down to hold Serie B leaders Parma and eventually win on a penalty shoot-out, squeezing through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.

They will go on to face Inter or Bologna in January, which could therefore be a repeat of last season’s Final.

Lucas Martinez-Quarta and Vasilios Zagaritis were suspended, with Nico Gonzalez rested, Jonathan Ikone, Gaetano Castrovilli and Dodo injured. The Ducali were one of only two Serie B teams still in the competition, along with Cremonese.

M’Bala Nzola thought he had finally broken his goal drought when having to tap in an Antonin Barak assist from five yards, but Woyo Coulibaly got himself in the way for a decisive block to deflect the ball wide.

Parma wasted a golden opportunity too when Valentin Mihaila sprung the offside trap to sprint clear on goal, but a heavy touch allowed Oliver Christensen to rush out and fingertip it off his foot.

Ange-Yoan Bonny had penalty appeals waved away when trying to squirm between two players in the box, but Parma did get the breakthrough following another chaotic counter-attack.

Christensen made the first save on Wylan Cyprien, then the follow-up from Bonny thumped the upright, but Adrian Bernabé finally got it into the roof of the net at the third time of asking from outside the box.

Fiorentina seemed shaken and conceded another within seconds of the restart. A weak Yerry Mina pass to Michael Kayode was intercepted by Mihaila, who rolled across for Bonny to tap in from six yards.

Josip Brekalo met the Kayode pull-back with a splendid back-heel flick, but it flashed inches wide of the far post.

Fiorentina thought they had a lifeline when Brekalo’s finish struck a flailing Alessandro Circati hand, but VAR showed it was just outside the penalty area.

It should’ve been 3-0 on a Parma corner kick routine, but Christensen denied Circati from point-blank range, then Bernabé steered just wide on another counter-attack.

Fiorentina were jeered off the pitch at half-time by their own fans, so made four changes for the restart. Nzola pulled back from the by-line only for Barak to prod straight at the goalkeeper from six yards, while Riccardo Sottil’s free kick was smothered.

Nzola pulled one back with a goal of great skill, controlling a cross with his back to goal, letting it bounce and firing into the roof of the net on the spin from 12 yards.

A rather harsh penalty was awarded to the Viola when a cross only grazed the head of Gino Infantino and struck Yordan Osorio on the arm. Sottil kept his cool to convert low into the near bottom corner, as Edoardo Corvi got a hand to it, but not enough to keep the ball out.

It went to extra time and Parma almost restored their advantage, Dennis Man sprinting forward only for the angled drive to meet a desperate Christensen save.

Lucas Beltran’s header was plucked out of the air and Man again tested Christensen, but it had to be decided on a penalty shoot-out.

Man fired his spot-kick onto the upright and Drissa Camara ballooned his effort over the bar, allowing Beltran to convert the decisive effort. Christensen tried every mind game during the shoot-out, shouting at the opponents before they stepped up.

Fiorentina 2-2 Parma (aet)

Bernabé 21 (P), Bonny 23 (P), Nzola 83 (F), Sottil pen 90 (F)

Penalties: Biraghi (F, goal), Hernani (P, goal), Kouame (F, goal), Man (P, upright), Milenkovic (F, goal), Camara (P, miss), Beltran (F goal).

06-12-2023 20:00

1/8 Final

Artemio Franchi Stadium