-myKhel Team

Lazio and Atalanta shared a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final at the Stadio Olimpico, with Maurizio Sarri convinced the result might have been different in front of a full home crowd during a tense night shaped by a supporter protest against club president Claudio Lotito.

Sarri’s team twice moved ahead through Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Boulaye Dia, yet Mario Pasalic and Yunus Musah replied for Atalanta, leaving the tie level before the return match at New Balance Arena in Bergamo on April 21, where the winners will then meet either Inter or Como in May’s final.

The fixture unfolded in an unusual atmosphere, as almost all Lazio supporters continued their ongoing protest against Claudio Lotito by refusing to enter the stadium, resulting in only an estimated 5,000 tickets being sold, though chants from outside the Olimpico remained audible throughout the semi-final clash.

The scoring began early in the second half when Fisayo Dele-Bashiru struck in the 46th minute, before Atalanta equalised through Mario Pasalic, then Boulaye Dia restored Lazio’s advantage on 86 minutes, only for Yunus Musah to respond again, leaving both sides level ahead of the decisive second leg.

Sarri underlined how the sparse attendance has become a factor his squad now experiences regularly, saying, “Unfortunately, and I mean unfortunately, the team is getting used to this situation inside the stadium. It’shorrible to say, because this isa truly sadsituation. Once again tonight we felt that if there were 45,000 in the stands, wecould’vemaybe takenthe win home.”

The Lazio coach still praised the display during what Sarri described as a demanding spell for the club, adding, “But we are satisfied with the performance, because we played at a high level against a strong team during what has been a difficult period. On the other hand, we have regrets over the results, although we know it would’ve been a battle in Bergamo even going there with a one-goal advantage.”

Sarri then looked ahead to the April 21 trip to New Balance Arena, setting out a clear target for Lazio in this Coppa Italia semi-final, stating, “We will go and fight for qualification there. If we play the way we did this evening, then we can do it.”

Coppa Italia semi-final: Atalanta response and outlook

On the opposite bench, Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino felt his players could draw belief from the way they twice recovered during the Lazio vs Atalanta tie, explaining that the performance against Sarri’s side showed resilience as much as technical quality.

Palladino gave a positive assessment of Atalanta’s showing, saying, “I think we had a very good game against a strong opponent. It was balanced, entertaining to watch, and when you face Sarris teams it is always enjoyable, as they have quality and can cause problems at any moment.”

The Atalanta coach also stressed that the contest remains finely balanced ahead of the second leg of this Coppa Italia semi-final, continuing, “It was only the first half of this semi-final, the second will be on our turf.And the tie is open,it’s50-50 and we want to reach the Final. We’re in front of our own fans, but that is a while away, so we’ll gain confidence from this performance.”

With the aggregate score level and both coaches expressing confidence, the Coppa Italia semi-final between Lazio and Atalanta moves to Bergamo on April 21, where Atalanta will play in front of home fans and Lazio hope for similar intensity, before either Inter or Como await the winners in May.

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