Matteo Pessina scored twice as Atalanta knocked holders Napoli out of the Coppa Italia with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday to set up a final against Juventus.
A goalless draw in the first leg of the semi-final left the tie on a knife-edge, but the hosts raced into a commanding early lead as Duvan Zapata smashed in an unstoppable shot and Pessina swept home the second inside the opening 16 minutes.
Napoli came to life after the break and pulled one back through Hirving Lozano before Pessina’s dinked finish 12 minutes from time left the visitors’ hopes of a successful Cup defence in tatters.
“It’s a great satisfaction, we dedicate this to the fans. The regret is not to live these moments with them, but reaching a final is a sign of continuity,” Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini told a news conference.
“Since January 3, we’ve played every three days, for six weeks. These guys are extraordinary, it’s not easy to recover all your energy. This is an extraordinary team for its courage and spirit but also for its respect for the opponent.”
Atalanta have won the Coppa Italia once in their history, in 1962-63, and finished as runners-up on three occasions, most recently in 2018-19.
They will face Italian champions Juventus, who have won the cup a record 13 times, in the final.
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso faced increasing pressure ahead of the game after a Serie A defeat by mid-table Genoa left his side with two wins in their last seven games in all competitions.
