Milan went into the Coppa Italia with all the favoritism possible after eliminating Inter Milan (UEFA Champions League finalists and Serie A runners-up) 3-0 in the second leg of the semi-finals. However, Bologna showed all their tradition in Italian soccer and won the final 1-0 at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
The first few minutes of the game were intense and Rafael Leão had a great chance to score after just three minutes after a pass from Alex Jiménez. Santiago Castro then responded for Bologna from a free-kick and Maignan made a great save. In the 11th minute, it was Milan’s turn to trouble their opponents again with Jovic trying to complete the goalkeeper’s rebound, but Skorupski made a sensational save and prevented the goal.
This save was crucial considering that the intensity dropped a lot in the rest of the first half, with both teams fighting for possession in midfield through physical strength and very few chances and goals. Meanwhile, Bologna tried to exploit the high game to try and surprise their opponents, but goalkeeper Maignan was very alert and made a number of safe saves.
In the second half, Bologna kept the offensive initiative and controlled possession more effectively, finding the spaces well inside and exploiting the corridors on the edges. This led to the winning goal in the 53rd minute, when Orsolini’s shot was blocked and the ball came to N’Doye, who got free of his marker and hit a firm shot past Maignan.
Sergio Conceição’s side tried to react immediately and had chances to equalize, but João Felix and Theo Hernández missed great chances to score. Before the final whistle, Chukwueze and Tammy Abraham were brought on to try and score from crosses into the box, but Bologna’s strong marking ensured the title.
Many Milan fans thought that the Coppa Italia trophy would only serve to ease the frustration of a very negative season. Without the trophy in the gallery, everything indicates that there will be heavy investment by the Rossoneri to avoid further disappointments in the 2025/26 season.
