Bologna Triumphs Over Empoli 3-0 In Coppa Italia Semi-Final With Dallinga's Double

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Bologna secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Empoli in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, with Thijs Dallinga scoring twice. Bologna, who last claimed the Coppa Italia title in 1974, are now well-positioned to reach the final. Empoli, despite eliminating Juventus via penalties to reach this stage, struggled against Bologna's superior form.

The match saw Bologna take the lead in the 23rd minute. Jens Odgaard delivered a cross from the left, and while Dallinga drew defenders' attention, Riccardo Orsolini capitalised on the opportunity by scoring with a first-time shot. Six minutes later, Dallinga doubled Bologna's lead after receiving a precise through ball from Dan Ndoye.

Empoli faces an uphill battle in the second leg scheduled for April 24. The winner of this tie will face either AC Milan or Inter Milan, who are set to play their semi-final first leg soon. Bologna's performance highlighted their Champions League aspirations as they outclassed relegation-threatened Empoli.

Dallinga was instrumental in all three goals and had six shots during the match—the highest by any Bologna player in this season's Coppa Italia. His goals came from an expected goals (xG) value of 1.24, contributing significantly to Bologna's total xG of 2.02. In contrast, Empoli managed seven attempts but only one was on target, resulting in an xG of just 0.32.

In the early stages of the second half, Dallinga and Ndoye combined once more to seal Bologna's third goal. Dallinga slid in to convert Ndoye’s pass across the goalmouth, further cementing his impact on the game.

This result leaves Empoli with a significant challenge ahead if they hope to overturn the deficit and advance to the final. Meanwhile, Bologna will be looking forward to potentially facing one of Milan’s giants as they aim for another Coppa Italia triumph.