Bergamo, Italy – Santiago Castro made a significant impact as a substitute by scoring the decisive goal that propelled Bologna into the semifinals of the Italian Cup for the first time in 26 years.

Bologna secured a 1-0 victory against Atalanta, the previous year’s runner-up, in a quarterfinal match on Tuesday, and will face either the defending champion Juventus or Empoli in the next round. Juventus is set to play against Empoli on February 26 for their respective quarterfinal matchup.

The last semifinal appearance for Bologna was back in 1999, where they suffered a 4-2 defeat to Fiorentina.

The match held in Bergamo saw both teams create several opportunities in a fast-paced encounter; however, Bologna managed to net the crucial goal just 10 minutes before the final whistle. Castro, who had only been on the pitch for less than two minutes, found space at the far post and connected with Charalampos Lykogiannis’ expertly delivered free kick to score with a header.

This loss continues a challenging start to 2025 for Atalanta, who have only secured victories against Sturm Graz and Como in their last ten matches.

In the remaining quarterfinal matches, AC Milan will host Roma on Wednesday, and on February 25, Lazio will face Inter Milan.