The last eight contestants have emerged from the maelstrom that was the Coppa Italia Round of 16, and all of the remaining contenders that advanced to the quarterfinals are from the Italian top flight.
Upsets and domestic cups have been almost synonymous since time immemorial, and the best Italian outfits aren’t immune to this head scratcher of an occurrence. Alas, giants like the Serie A leaders, Internazionale, and the defending top-flight champions, Napoli, succumbed to the inspiring efforts from budding teams, but that just means SBOTOP football fans will be raring to see other brands of football Italy has to offer!
But before the quarterfinals commence, read below for an in-depth preview of the upcoming matchups in the Coppa Italia.
Juventus vs Frosinone
Juventus were the last club to qualify for the quarterfinals, ending the looming trend of upsets suffered by other top-flight giants in the Round of 16. They trampled over the helpless Salernitana by showcasing their best offencive outing across all competitions this term, with five different Juventus talents scoring one goal apiece, topped off with a Dylan Bronn own goal.
The Old Lady sang and ended her number with a 6-1 triumph over Salernitana. But her encore might be a tougher ballad, as they face Frosinone in the quarterfinals.
The Canaries stunned the defending Serie A champions, Napoli, in the Round of 16, where they humbled Gli Azzurri with a 0-4 clean sheet demolition in front of the roaring Neapolitan crowd.
Napoli dominated and controlled the tie in the first half, but Frosinone’s relentless attempts at the goal overwhelmed Mazzarri’s side and conceded four goals in the second half.
It’s fascinating to see how an outfit that has lost four of their five top-flight matches demolishes a club as stacked as Napoli in a domestic cup, but that’s the beauty of these kinds of single-elimination competitions—upsets are bound to happen!
Frosinone aren’t out of the woods just yet, as they’ll need a herculean effort to match with Massimiliano Allegri’s boys to advance to the semis. But with what they produced against Napoli, it’s safe to say that the Canaries back down to no one.
Fiorentina vs Bologna
Speaking of upsets, Bologna managed to come out of San Siro in one piece, and with a win to boot! The Coppa Italia 2024 odds favourites, Inter, crumbled in crunch time at their home turf, conceding two late goals, paving the way for Bologna’s come-from-behind win to advance to the quarterfinals.
Inter can do nothing wrong in the Italian top flight, leading the table with five points clear of Juventus, but I Rossoblù proved that even the mighty Nerazzurri can bleed if you play your hearts out.
Thiago Motta’s outfit is clearly elated after stunning the best team in the Italian top flight, but they might be pulled back to earth when they visit Tuscany to face off against an inspired Nicolás González, who has been the tip of the spear for Fiorentina this season.
Fiorentina, who are poised for a Champions League appearance where they stand in the Serie A table thus far, went through a thriller of a tie against Parma in the Round of 16. Both sides went on an offencive onslaught at Stadio Artemio Franchi, where fans were at the edge of their seats as the game was ultimately decided through a penalty shootout.
It was a 2-2 score line by the end of regulation, and the home team edged out a convincing Parma with a score of 4-1 in penalties. A shaky debut by Fiorentina, to say the least, but Vincenzo Italiano and his boys seem unfazed and will continue to be the gritty team that they are when I Rossoblù knock on their gates.
Lazio vs Roma
Another gritty club that made it to the quarterfinals are I Giallorossi. José Mourinho’s team pulled off one of the best Coppa Italia 2024 highlights where they stole the win against Cremonese at the Stadio Olimpico.
The Serie B contestants were poised to upset Roma in front of the anxious Roman crowd. They led the match 0-1 in the first half courtesy of Frank Tsadjout, leaving Roma looking shocked and stagnant in the first half, but Mourinho managed to rally his boys during the break as they came to the pitch as an entirely different team in the second half.
The visiting Cremonese succumbed to the world-class talent of their top-flight adversaries in the second half. Lukaku started their dance in minute 77 to equalise the bout, then Dybala sealed the deal with a minute-85 penalty to complete Roma’s comeback, sending their fans home with smiles from ear to ear.
Mourinho and the rest of Roma are well aware that they can’t afford to have that close of a call against their next opponents, Lazio.
Unlike Roma, Lazio had a more predictable Round of 16, taking care of a top-flight rival, Genoa, surgically and with efficiency. Lazio’s No. 8, Matteo Guendouzi, struck early and gave the Eagles an early lead in the first five minutes of the contest.
The game looked evenly matched all throughout, but Lazio’s defence successfully extinguished any threat Genoa brewed. Maurizio Sarri’s football philosophy was evident in how his team functioned throughout the match, especially after scoring the lead goal.
The Eagles took care of the ball and were efficient and precise with their passing, garnering 88 per cent pass accuracy. They held Genoa to just two shots on target and managed to keep their 1-0 lead until the end of regulation. They’re surely keen on keeping up this form against Roma, who arguably have better attacking capabilities than Genoa.
With that said, Lukaku and Dybala got away with their last efforts against a humble Cremonese, but things will look different for Roma given their next competitors have a more formidable form and a more talented roster in Lazio. A derby approaches!
AC Milan vs Atalanta
Atlanta breezed through the Round of 16, thrashing a top- flight rival Sassuolo with a 3-1 victory at Gewiss Stadium. Charles De Ketelaere dominated by scoring a goal in both halves, blowing the game wide open for his side by minute 63. The Milan loanee wasn’t a lone gunman though, as the Russian midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk put the cherry on top in minute 77 to put Atalanta up 3-nil.
Daniel Boloca got one back for Sassuolo in extra time, but it was too late to mount a comeback for the visiting side.
As impressive as that sounds, Milan had one heck of a game as well. They trampled Cagliari in their Round of 16 tie with a 4-1 score line and it seemed like they could’ve easily scored more if the officials hadn’t decided to stop the onslaught when they did.
Their clash against Atalanta could easily be the most competitive and exciting matchup in the quarterfinals, given that there will surely be no shortage of goals when it’s all said and done.
Both outfits boast some of the best and most potent offences in the entire Italian top flight, and both are also primed for a strong run in 2024.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
