RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Bologna reached the Italian Super Cup final on Friday after beating Inter Milan 3-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in Riyadh.
Ciro Immobile scored the winning penalty for Bologna in front of a sparse crowd in Saudi Arabia, setting up a final showdown with Serie A champions Napoli on Monday.
Napoli booked a spot in the final by beating AC Milan 2-0 on Thursday.
"I've had three and a half months of suffering but I've a big family who helped me," said Immobile, who has missed almost all this season with a thigh injury.
"Napoli are in great shape, but it's a one-off match and anything can happen."
Riccardo Orsolini levelled the scores for Italian Cup holders Bologna with his penalty 10 minutes before half-time, cancelling out Marcus Thuram's early volleyed opener for Inter.
Vincenzo Italiano's players held their nerve better in the shoot-out, with Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella and Ange-Yoan Bonny all failing from the spot for Inter.
Traditionally featuring the Serie A and Italian Cup champions, since 2023 the Italian Super Cup has also included the runners-up from league and cup.
The four-team tournament is contracted to be held in Saudi Arabia until 2029.
NAPOLI BEAT MILAN
Napoli downed AC Milan 2-0 in Thursday's Italian Super Cup semifinal in Riyadh.
David Neres opened the scoring near the break with Rasmus Hojlund's lightning low shot after the hour sealing the encounter at the King Saud University Stadium, one of the proposed venues for the 2034 World Cup.
The Serie A champions will face Bologna in Monday's final.
Napoli are seeking their third win in the annual competition but first since 2014.
The win in Saudi Arabia was a quick pick-me-up after Napoli lost 1-0 to Udinese in the league at the weekend to leave them third, two points adrift of Inter and one behind Milan.
This is the 38th edition of a tournament featuring the Serie A and Italian Cup champions, and the league and cup runners-ups and contracted to be held in Saudi until 2029. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
