COPPA ITALIA 23/24 CAMPAIGN OVER
Coppa Italia
AC Milan's 2023/24 Coppa Italia campaign has come to an end following an intense 90 minutes. The Rossoneri fought until the final second but the game at San Siro went the way of Atalanta as the hosts were knocked out of the competition at the quarter-final stage. It finished 2-1, Koopmeiners with the winner from the spot after Leão and the Dutchman had exchanged stoppage-time goals at the end of the first half. Stefano Pioli's side started well, taking the lead through their number 10, and pinned the Bergamaschi in their own half for long spells, but just couldn't create any space in which to strike.
The instant equaliser and subsequent winner for the guests took away the Rossoneri's confidence and belief as the hosts failed to reignite their ambitions. Gabbia started the game, though was forced off in the first half, and Filippo Terracciano made his debut for the Club. As such, one of the season's objectives has slipped away but the Rossoneri will need to turn over a new leaf as soon as possible. AC Milan are back on Sunday at San Siro as they take on Roma in the hopes that they can kick off the back half of the Serie A season in style. Forza ragazzi!
CHECK OUT THE GALLERY FROM AC MILAN v ATALANTA
MATCH REPORT
The Rossoneri dictated the tempo from the off, with Atalanta remaining compact in defence. We had to wait until the 16th minute for the first chance, when Pulisic weakly turned goalwards Reijnders' pull-back. It was AC Milan again after 19 minutes as Leão picked out Musah, who made Carnesecchi work. The Rossoneri had the majority of possession, but with little space to maneuver in. The visitors started to open up and play out after the half-hour mark: Holm shot high over on 31 minutes and then De Ketelaere headed wide five minutes later. On the stroke of half-time, the game finally came to life: in the 45th minute, Leão linked up well with Theo and placed his shot into the far corner to break the deadlock, but in the 47th minute Koopmeiners - set up by Holm - fired past Maignan into the bottom corner. 1-1 at the break.
The alarm bells rang for both teams after the restart: on 48 minutes, Maignan got down well to turn Koopmeiners' left-footed shot around the post for a corner and in the 50th minute Carnesecchi gathered Musah's header. In the 57th minute, contact in the area between Mirančuk and Jiménez was deemed enough for a penalty by the referee, and from the spot Koopmeiners wrong-footed Maignan to make it 2-1 to the away team. The Orobici looked to seize the positive moment and pushed forward at every opportunity, with Mirančuk (66') and Ederson (69') both missing the target from the edge of the box. Pulisic led the Rossoneri reaction as his left-footed shot from distance in the 71st minute was brilliantly put behind by Carnesecchi for a corner. AC Milan continued to throw the kitchen sink forward, but the final onslaught failed to reward the Rossoneri's efforts as they could not find a way through the Nerazzurri backline. Full time.
MATCH DETAILS
AC MILAN 1-2 ATALANTA
AC MILAN (4-3-3): Maignan; Calabria (61' Simić), Gabbia (39' Kjær), Hernández, Jiménez (61' Terracciano); Loftus-Cheek (73' Giroud), Reijnders (73' Adli), Musah; Pulisic, Jović, Leão. Subs: Mirante, Nava; Bartesaghi; Romero, Zeroli; Traorè. Coach: Pioli.
ATALANTA (3-4-2-1): Carnesecchi; Scalvini (86' Hien), Djimsiti, Kolašinac; Holm, de Roon (42' Pašalić), Éderson, Ruggeri (78' Zappacosta); Mirančuk, Koopmeiners (86' Muriel); De Ketelaere (78' Scamacca). Subs: Musso, Rossi; Bakker, Palomino, Tolói, Zortea; Adopo. Coach: Gasperini.
Referee: Di Bello from Brindisi.
Goals: 45' Leão (M), 45'+2 Koopmeiners (A), 59' pen. Koopmeiners (A).
Booked: 58' Hernández (M), 80' Leão (M), 90' Éderson (A).
Sent off: 38' Gasperini (A).
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