Santiago Castro made an instant impact off the bench, scoring the decisive goal that sent Bologna into the Italian Cup semifinals for the first time in 26 years.
Bologna secured a 1-0 victory over last year’s runner-up Atalanta on Tuesday. They will now face either defending champion Juventus or Empoli in the semifinals.
Juventus and Empoli are set to clash in their quarterfinal on February 26.
The last time Bologna reached this stage of the competition was back in 1999, when they suffered a 4-2 aggregate defeat to Fiorentina.
Both teams created opportunities in a fast-paced encounter in Bergamo. However, it was Bologna that found the breakthrough 10 minutes from time.
Castro lost his marker at the far post and headed home Charalampos Lykogiannis’ perfectly-delivered free kick.
The 20-year-old Argentine had only been on the pitch for less than two minutes before scoring the match-winner.
For Atalanta, the result compounded their struggles in 2025. In 10 matches since the start of the year, they have only managed victories against Sturm Graz and Como.
AC Milan hosts Roma in the next quarterfinal on Wednesday, while Inter Milan welcomes Lazio on February 25.
