Bologna caused an upset, defeating Inter Milan on penalties.
After a dramatic 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, Bologna showed their mettle in the penalty shootout to overcome Inter Milan and secure a place in the Italian Super Cup final.
Dramatic penalty shootout
The Italian Super Cup semi-final between Inter Milan and Bologna was decided in a dramatic penalty shootout. After a thrilling back-and-forth match in regular time, Bologna showed their steely resolve to secure the victory and book their place in the final.
Immediately after the opening whistle, Inter Milan quickly asserted their dominance. In the 2nd minute, from a precise cross by Alessandro Bastoni, Marcus Thuram intelligently positioned himself to unleash a neat finish, giving the Nerazzurri an early lead.
The early goal boosted the morale of the Nerazzurri, who continuously pressed their opponents. However, Bologna remained undeterred. In the 31st minute, after consulting VAR, the referee determined that the ball had struck an Inter Milan player's hand inside the penalty area, awarding Bologna a penalty.
From the penalty spot in the 35th minute, Riccardo Orsolini made no mistake, calmly finishing to bring the game back to a tie. The score remained 1-1 until the end of the first half.
Goalkeepers' performance
In the second half, the game became evenly matched and tense. In the 57th minute, Inter Milan seemed to have a chance to regain the lead when the referee pointed to the penalty spot, but the decision was overturned after a VAR review, much to the disappointment of the home fans.
The remainder of the match was the stage for the two goalkeepers. Federico Ravaglia of Bologna had an outstanding performance, repeatedly saving dangerous shots from Federico Dimarco and Lautaro Martinez. On the opposite side, Inter's goalkeeper also demonstrated his talent with crucial saves.
After a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, the two teams had to go to a penalty shootout. The psychological pressure led to a series of unsuccessful penalties for players on both sides, including key players like Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella of Inter. On the Bologna side, Nikola Moro also failed to beat the opposing goalkeeper.
In the decisive penalty shootout, the Bologna player successfully converted his shot, the ball hitting the post before flying into the net, securing a breathtaking victory for the visitors. The Bologna players erupted in joy, bringing to a close a courageous and emotional match.
With this victory, Bologna will face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup final, after Napoli defeated AC Milan 2-0 in the other semi-final.
