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After all four Italy Cup quarterfinals penalty shootouts were played, it became clear that in the semifinals, "Inter", "Roma", "Sampdoria", and "Milan" will be playing, moving forward despite unexpected setbacks. Last year's "Coppa Italia" champion, Milan's "Inter," defeated the "Empoli" team at home with a score of 2-0, and thanks to a combined total of 4-0, once again made it to the cup's semifinals. In the 28th minute, "Inter" defender Mariano Gonzalez sprinted along the edge of the field and crossed the ball into the penalty area, where Esteban Cambiasso directed it into the goal. However, shortly after, "Empoli" had a chance to equalize when the hosts' goalkeeper Olivier Dacourt brought down Eder in his penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty kick to Milan's team. But Mirko Gasparetto's shot hit the crossbar and the score remained 1-0. "Inter" secured victory in the 77th minute. Fabio Grosso marked his return to the field with a fantastic long-range shot into the top corner of the goal, ensuring his club's place in the semifinals. In other matches, "Roma" had many problems away against "Parma" and played to a 2-2 draw, but thanks to a combined score of 4-3, they managed to reach the semifinals. The warning bells rang for the capital team in the 12th minute when Zlatan Muslimovic redirected Andrea Gasbarroni's pass into the goal, putting the "Parma" team ahead. With a score of 1-0, "Parma" would have advanced to the semifinals, so there was a serious threat for "Roma" to be eliminated from the tournament. The visitors understood this perfectly and were able to equalize the score in the 30th minute. Daniele De Rossi headed in a goal to beat the opponent's goalkeeper. However, "Parma" did not give up, and in the 43rd minute, the same Zlatan Muslimovic, taking advantage of Daniele De Rossi's mistake, once again put his team in the lead. But the forward, who scored two goals, suffered an injury and could not continue the match. Taking advantage of the weakened "Parma" attack, "Roma" players were able to secure their place in the semifinals as the match neared its end - in the 85th minute, David Pizarro equalized the score with a precise long-range shot. "Sampdoria" reached the semifinals by defeating the "Chievo" club 2-1 as visitors. The overall score of both matches was 3-1 in favor of "Sampdoria." In the 41st minute, the visitors' forward Emiliano Bonazzoli, avoiding the defense of "Chievo" player Cesare Ricklerio, scored a precise shot into the goal. However, just three minutes later, the hosts regained hope - Michele Marcolini redirected Luciano's pass into the goal to equalize the score. In the second half, the hosts attacked the opponents' goal, trying to score the two necessary goals, but in the 85th minute, "Sampdoria" player Gennaro Del Vecchio dashed their hopes with a precise header to lead his team into the semifinals. The only lower league team remaining in the tournament, "Arezzo," hosted the mighty "Milan" and managed to put up a serious fight against the famous club's experimental lineup. The hosts were closer to scoring in the first half and after the break, they rightfully took the lead after Antonio Floro Flores returned to defend the goal after a injury. In the 57th minute, "Arezzo" almost shockingly equalized the mutual match score - Roberto Goretti shot from the penalty area but hit the crossbar. Later, "Milan" recovered and took control of the game, eventually eliminating the opponents due to a 2-0 home victory despite the loss. In the first "Coppa Italia" semifinal, "Inter" will face "Sampdoria," while in the second, "Roma" will play against "Milan." The semifinal matches will take place on January 24 and 31. Results of the quarterfinal matches:
2 – 0 (aggregate result 4-0)
28` [1 – 0] Esteban Cambiasso
76` [2 – 0] Fabio Grosso
2 – 2 (aggregate result 3-4)
11` [1 – 0] Zlatan Muslimovic
30` [1 – 1] Daniele De Rossi
43` [2 – 1] Zlatan Muslimovic
85` [2 – 2] David Pizarro
1 – 2 (aggregate result 1-3)
42` [0 – 1] Emiliano Bonazzoli
44` [1 – 1] Michele Marcolini
85` [1 – 2] Gennaro Del Vecchio
"Arezzo" 1 – 0 (aggregate result 1-2)
53' [1 - 0] Antonio Floro Flores
