Bologna Inches Closer to Coppa Italia Glory with Empoli Triumph

Thijs Dallinga's double leads Bologna to a 3-0 victory against Empoli in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. Bologna aims to end a 50-year trophy drought, while Empoli, in their debut semi-final, faces an uphill battle in the second leg to secure a final berth.

Bologna moved closer to ending their 50-year wait for Coppa Italia glory with a decisive 3-0 victory over Empoli in their semi-final first leg on Tuesday. Thijs Dallinga was the match's standout player with a brace that left Empoli, participating in their first-ever semi-final, struggling to keep up.

The match opened with Riccardo Orsolini putting Bologna on the scoreboard in the 23rd minute, capitalizing on a cross that distracted Empoli's defense. Six minutes later, Dallinga added to the lead thanks to a perfect throughball from Dan Ndoye. Dallinga continued his stellar performance after the break, converting another Ndoye pass to seal Empoli's fate.

Bologna, who last celebrated a Coppa Italia win in 1974, are poised for a place in the finals, with fans eagerly anticipating the showdown in Rome this May. Empoli, on the other hand, finds themselves needing a miracle as they prepare for the second leg in Bologna, with the winner set to face either AC Milan or Inter Milan at Stadio Olimpico.

(With inputs from agencies.)