Bologna One Step Closer to Coppa Italia Final After Dominant 3-0 Victory Over Empoli

Bologna took a commanding 3-0 lead in their Coppa Italia semi-final tie with Empoli, thanks to a brace from Thijs Dallinga and a goal from Riccardo Orsolini.

Thijs Dallinga's impressive brace propelled Bologna to a commanding 3-0 victory over Empoli in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final tie, moving them one step closer to their first final appearance since 1974. Bologna, previous winners of the competition, nearly opened the scoring immediately, as Dallinga forced a fine save from Empoli's cup goalkeeper Jacopo Seghetti.

A minute later, Riccardo Orsolini came close to scoring, but the Italian forward frustratingly fired his effort wide of its intended target. However, the visitors' persistence eventually paid off in the 23rd minute, as Orsolini expertly managed to fire the ball past Seghetti, who was being watched by national manager Luciano Spalletti.

The match took a turn for the worse for Empoli six minutes later, as Dan Ndoye's defence-splitting pass allowed Dallinga to take a deft touch before steering his strike into the far corner of the net. Empoli finally managed their first shot on target six minutes before the break, but Lukasz Skorupski preserved his clean sheet by smartly stopping Ola Solbakken's effort.

A brilliant win in the semi-final first leg 🫡👊#WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/8J1zxEgyQr

— Bologna FC 1909 (@BolognaFC1909en) April 1, 2025

Empoli's aspirations of staging a dramatic comeback were swiftly extinguished, lasting a mere six minutes into the second half. A carbon copy of the second goal unfolded, as Dan Ndoye once again provided a pinpoint pass for Thijs Dallinga to bag his brace, effectively ending Empoli's hopes of a revival.

Riccardo Orsolini should have put the tie beyond doubt in the 68th minute, but the striker, seeking his first international call-up since June, failed to beat Jacopo Seghetti on this occasion. Nonetheless, this missed opportunity had little bearing on the outcome, as Bologna's dominant display in Tuscany positioned them as clear favorites to advance to the final, where they will likely face either AC or Inter Milan.

With their Coppa Italia ambitions all but extinguished, Empoli's focus will inevitably shift to their fight for Serie A survival. Roberto D'Aversa's side will need to regroup and concentrate on securing their top-flight status, as their wait for a maiden trophy appears destined to continue for at least another year.