Coppa Italia: Bologna Cruise Past Monza 4-0 to Reach Coppa Italia Quarter-Finals

Bologna secured a 4-0 win over Monza to advance to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, but the victory was overshadowed by an injury to Riccardo Orsolini, ahead of their upcoming Serie A clash against Juventus.

Bologna secured a convincing 4-0 victory over Monza to advance to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, where they will face either Atalanta or Cesena. However, the win was marred by an injury to Riccardo Orsolini, which could impact their upcoming matches.

Bologna's resurgence continues, building on their 3-0 weekend win over Venezia. In contrast, Monza's struggles persist, with the team severely depleted due to injuries, missing key players Daniel Maldini, Roberto Gagliardini, Matteo Pessina, and Alessio Cragno.

The match began with Bologna's Santiago Castro testing Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco in the third minute, followed by Samuel Iling-Junior's shot over the bar. The breakthrough came when Castro set up Matteo Pobega, who unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box, finding the top corner with precision.

Controversy erupted in the 35th minute when Monza's penalty appeals were denied following a corner kick, where Emil Holm and Emanuele Valoti clashed while competing for the ball. The referee dismissed their claims, and Bologna swiftly counter-attacked, capitalizing on the opportunity as Riccardo Orsolini scored with a clever dinked finish to double their lead.

The 35th-minute incident was further scrutinized by VAR, but the officials ultimately chose not to overturn the referee's decision. Unfortunately for Bologna, the sequence of play came at a cost, as Riccardo Orsolini suffered a muscle injury while scoring, forcing him to limp off the field.

The injury setback is untimely for coach Vincenzo Italiano, with a crucial Serie A matchup against Juventus looming. Bologna resumed play after the break, and Lewis Ferguson's powerful strike was nearly rewarded, only to be denied by a spectacular fingertip save.

The Rossoblu soon extended their lead, however, as Samuel Iling-Junior's low cross from the left flank found its way to the back post, where Benjamin Dominguez tapped in with ease, aided by a slight touch from Santiago Castro.

Santiago Castro capped off his impressive display with a well-deserved goal, courtesy of a precise through-ball from Dominguez, who won possession in midfield. Castro skillfully took a touch to evade Armando Izzo and then drilled a low shot into the far bottom corner.

In the final minutes, Samuel Iling-Junior came close to adding to Bologna's tally with a powerful, rising angled drive. However, Monza goalkeeper Semuel Pizzignacco made a spectacular fingertip save, diverting the ball onto the near post to deny Iling-Junior his goal.