Coppa Titano: four moments of magic on the first night of the Round of 16

Three evenly balanced ties marked the first Coppa Titano Tuesday of the 2024-25 season. The sides looked closely matched, at least for what was shown on the pitch – where the real difference came from moments worthy of the highlights reel. In Dogana it was Tre Fiori versus Libertas: as happened last Friday, when Sperindio and Girolomoni faced off in the league, it was the Fiorentino club who broke the deadlock. Benedettini went close on the quarter-hour, after a warning shot from Fabio Ramòn Tomassini at the other end. Prandelli tested Del Prete’s reflexes just before the half-hour mark, while Libertas replied through David Tomassini, who forced Nardi into action. Shortly before the break Osayande went alone, wriggling away from Rea to get a shot away from close range – albeit from the by-line. His effort drifted wide, sending a shiver down the spine of the yellow-and-blue bench. Tre Fiori started the second half better, threatening with Braschi and above all Censoni – who curled his left-footed strike just wide. The deadlock was finally broken on the hour: a move of real technical quality between Bernardi and Benedettini, with the latter placing his finish into the corner past Del Prete. The game shifted firmly in Tre Fiori’s favour, and they doubled their lead on 76 minutes with a piece of Prandelli magic: a 25-metre free kick into the top corner, leaving the Libertas goalkeeper with no chance at all. There was nothing more to note at the Ezio Conti, from where Girolomoni’s side emerged with a first-leg lead to defend in the return fixture. There were chances galore in Domagnano-San Giovanni, played in Fiorentino. The Wolves had the first attempt, with Perazzini’s low diagonal effort shaving the upright. At the other end, Tognacci’s men struck with their first real break: Nicola Sartini made the run in behind, stood up to Celli’s challenge and delivered a cross for the perfect header by Augusto Garcia Rufer, who opened the scoring on 17 minutes. San Giovanni took control of proceedings, going within centimetres of a second through Cocco and Augusto, the latter on the end of a shot-cross from Corinti. Domagnano threatened with a Perazzini cross that slipped through Di Noto’s gloves – without consequences for the keeper, who redeemed himself in added time at the end of the half by saving Gozzi’s right-footed attempt. After the restart Augusto lashed a penalty-in-motion straight at Colonna, who then did superbly well to deny Nicola Sartini on the hour. Rossi’s men – their coach absent through suspension – upped the tempo in the final half hour: after an ambitious curling effort from Amati, Parma forced Di Noto into a stop with a well-struck free kick from twenty metres. Moments later, the San Giovanni keeper was less than perfect on a harmless shot from Rushani, but managed to recover and smother Mazzavillani’s tap-in. Di Noto would fully redeem himself with a miraculous save on 89 minutes, keeping out Buda’s left-footed strike from the edge of the area with a strong hand, sealing San Giovanni’s narrow first-leg victory in the Round of 16. An absolute stunner from Alessandro Bitti, clearly not a fan of ordinary goals, finally unlocked and decided Folgore-Murata. In chronological order, Murata had the first go, with a shot comfortably dealt with by Guddo. Midway through the half Pancotti found space in the box but shot wide, protesting a challenge in the follow-up. The Giallorossoneri took charge of the game and went close through Miori, who had come up for a corner. From one of his throw-ins came another opportunity for the irrepressible Pancotti, who endured a truly unlucky night. The Sammarinese winger hit the woodwork three times with two efforts: on 47 minutes he met a cross first time at the near post, striking the inside of the upright with the keeper beaten; the ball then rolled along the goal line before crashing against the far post. It wasn’t over, because a quarter of an hour later – picked out by Anzaghi – Pancotti completed his personal collection of woodwork, this time heading against the crossbar. On the balance of play Folgore would have deserved the win, but no one could have imagined that a goal from the halfway line would prove decisive: Bitti, who had come on after the break, let fly from the centre circle, catching Benedettini off his line and beating him with a powerful, driven and precise right-footed strike. A goal to watch again and again, from which Lasagni’s side will restart – in a month’s time – as they battle Murata, surely more dangerous and clinical than tonight, for a place in the quarter-finals. All matches in the 2024-25 Coppa Titano are available live in full via streaming with Italian commentary on TITANI.TV (website and app).

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