Spring, Rome conquers the Italian Cup. Beaten Florentine

It had practically become the “Fiorentina Cup”. But, after four consecutive victories for the Viola starting from 2019, the Coppa Italia Primavera is taken this time by Roma (2-1) after more than 120 minutes of the final in Salerno. The decisive signing, in the second extra time, was headed by the 18-year-old Greek defender Keramitsis: accompanied by the new Manolas label, he has been in the first team since January 2022, when Mourinho made him debut in Serie A against Cagliari . Roma thus returns to lift the trophy after six years: the last success came at the Olimpico in 2017, against the Entella of Nicolò Zaniolo and Dany Mota Carvalho. The first trophy also arrives for Federico Guidi on the Giallorossi bench, in a non-trivial intersection between the two benches: he, a Florentine who grew up as a coach in the Viola youth academy, denied the Roman and Roma fan Alberto Aquilani what would have been the sixth title as coach of the Florentine.

Good start purple

—

In the first 25 minutes, Roma – without Tahirovic and Volpato, who remained with the big players – struggled to get out of their half: Berti’s position, a midfielder who builds between the lines and attacks, proves to be an enigma for the Giallorossi defensive phase . However, such superiority does not lead to breaking the balance due to a lack of precision: Kayode misses a header from close range after 10′ on an assist from Filippo Di Stefano, in the 26th minute the two exchange the favor but he is the attacker – that Italiano has already made its debut and is managed by Francesco Totti’s agency – to chew the shot. Having bypassed the half hour, Roma – although without making themselves who knows how dangerous – however seem to start taking measures, returning to the locker room with a 0-0 draw which is honestly a bargain for Guidi’s boys.

Equilibrium

—

The Giallorossi’s approach to the second half seems decidedly better, in a game that returns balanced: Cassano tries twice from outside the box – copy and paste – without hitting the goal, then Cherubini has the greatest opportunity on the right lap that does not go far from the far post. Just the yellow and red number 7, he risks big when Kayode kicks from the ground: the referee decides for yellow and probably gives him a gift. The red card on the other hand – double yellow – was made up for by the Viola defender Comuzzo fifteen minutes from the end, after a foul on Cherubini. Aquilani is forced to redesign his own and does it well, to the point that the numerical inferiority is not noticed: Di Stefano transmits a constant sense of danger and puts on Krastev’s head, two minutes from 90′, the assist for the possible advantage failed by the defender who made his debut for the Bulgarian national team.

The extras

—

Thus we go into extra time, a match in the match in which Roma are called to exploit the extra man. And he seems to do it: a quality through-thrower for the Italian-American center forward Giulio Misitano (who replaced Padula), who exchanges in the area with Cassano and slips Martinelli exploding with joy together with the fans who arrived from the capital. Down by a goal and a man, Fiorentina, however, did not pull the plug and found an equal within a few minutes: on Amatucci’s free-kick, Krastev’s head popped up once again and punished the uncertainties of the Giallorossi defense and the goalkeeper Baldi. But in the second mini-half, when penalties seem to be in the air, it’s another defender who decides: Cherubini’s cross from a corner for Keramitsis who lands the winning header inside the small area. The party kicks off and the tension flows into an avoidable hint of a fight, after the final whistle, fortunately immediately extinguished. For both, now, the appointment is for the championship playoffs: where Fiorentina and Roma – net of a Lecce that today seems unstoppable – have everything to not set limits.