Südtirol edge Catanzaro after marathon Coppa Italia thriller
Catanzaro and Südtirol served up a pulsating Coppa Italia encounter that refused to be settled in 90 minutes. The tie swung wildly across both halves, with neither side able to stamp lasting authority on proceedings. By full time, Catanzaro 2-2 Südtirol left everything to decide.
Südtirol struck first through Nicolò Pyyhtiä in the 17th minute, suggesting an away performance built on early tempo. Catanzaro responded with purpose. Stefano Pafundi levelled in the 27th minute to restore parity, then the home side found their breakthrough when Pietro Iemmello put them ahead in the 53rd minute. The hosts looked set to advance. But Südtirol's resilience shone through when Kristjan Mixtur equalised in the 85th minute, forcing extra time and leaving Catanzaro unable to see the job through despite six minutes of added time to find a winner.
Extra time produced no breakthrough, keeping the teams locked at Catanzaro 2-2 Südtirol heading to the shootout. This Round of 64 tie would be decided from the spot, where composure under pressure became everything. Südtirol held their nerve when it mattered most.
The visitors claimed their place in the next round by winning 4-3 on penalties, a victory forged through greater penalty-taking accuracy when the match had exhausted every other possibility. For Catanzaro, the bitter pill came after mounting a genuine challenge and leading late in the contest. Südtirol's away progression added drama to a tie that had demanded everything from both sides.
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