Atalanta qualified this Thursday for the semi-finals of the Italian Cup, by beating Juventus 3-0 at home, the competition’s record holder, in the second match of the quarterfinals.
In Bergamo, the hosts took the lead in the first half, through a penalty converted by Gianluca Scamacca (27 minutes), and extended the distance in the last quarter of an hour, with goals from Ghanaian Kamaldeen Sulemana (77′) and Croatian Mario Pasalic (85′), both substitutes used.
Portuguese Francisco Conceição initially played for Juventus, holder of 15 trophies, who were eliminated in the ‘quarters’ for the second season in a row and broke a cycle of four matches without losing in different competitions.
Atalanta, winners in 1962/63, are the second team qualified for the semi-finals, one day after Inter Milan, the isolated leader of Serie A and one of the runners-up in the Italian Cup record, with the same nine victories as Roma, beat Torino (2-1), in a clash held in Monza.
In the next round, which will be played over two legs, between March 3rd and 5th and April 21st to 23rd, respectively, Inter Milan will face Italian champions Naples or Como, whose quarterfinal game takes place on Tuesday.
A day later, Bologna, holder of the trophy, hosts Lazio, with the winner of that tie meeting Atalanta in the ‘semi’ of the 79th edition of the Italian Cup, which brings together only top-flight clubs at this stage of the competition and has the final scheduled for May 13, in Rome.
