Coppa Italia Serie C: Alexiou's late goal puts Inter into the Round of 16

Inter Under-23 secured a hard-fought victory at Ospitaletto Franciacorta, securing their place in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia Serie C. The match at Stadio Corioni was intense and competitive, only decided in the dying moments. A-ter a quiet first half, Vecchi’s side took the lead with a stunning free-kick from David. The hosts equalised in the 81st minute with a goal from Pollio. The game seemed to be headed for penalties until Alexiou’s header in the 89th minute sent Inter through. In the Round of 16, Stefano Vecchi’s team will face Renate, who defeated Juventus Next Gen in the second round.

Inter got off to strong start and within seconds, Agbonifo was causing trouble for the Ospitaletto defense, but his shot was blocked by Raffaelli. Vecchi’s team remained proactive in the opening minutes, looking to use the energy of number 11. In the 11th minute, Agbonifo created another dangerous chance down the left, but Diop blocked his attempt. Two minutes later, Ospitaletto had a big chance. Orlandi launched Torri on a counterattack, who shook off Alexiou and fired diagonally, but the ball went wide. After a lively start, both teams slowed the pace until the 24th minute when the hosts went close again. Gualandris sped down the right and delivered to Pollio, whose shot was spectacularly saved by Cinquegrano's slide tackle. Inter struggled to find space and looked to set pieces for chances. In the 30th minute, Stante headed a Topalovic corner, but the ball went over. Four minutes later, Ospitaletto threatened again, Tunjov cut inside the box and shot, but Cinquegrano was there to clear it off the line. The first half ended goalless after a one minute of added time. Inter came out with energy for the second half, though chances were scarce. In the 48th minute, Agbonifo’s cross found Iddrissou, but the striker’s header lacked power. In the 54th minute, Ospitaletto came close again. Pollio’s pass found Orlandi, whose shot went just wide. Three minutes later, Inter broke the deadlock with David perfectly curling a free-kick past Raffaelli into the top corner. Vecchi responded by bringing on Avitabile and Lavelli for Mosconi and Iddrissou, fresh legs to consolidate the lead. In the 65th minute, Ospitaletto tried to respond. Pavanello, who had come on at half-time, fired from distance, but missed. Quaresmini used his last substitutions, bringing Nahrudnyy and Mazza on for Orlandi and Diop, shifting Ospitaletto into a highly offensive formation for the final 20 minutes. Inter dropped their lines, aiming to control the game, but the hosts leveled at the 81st minute. Pollio struck a powerful shot from a corner rebound, which hit the crossbar and went in, leaving Melgrati helpless. Vecchi reacted with a final substitution, bringing Kamate on for Berenbruch. And in the 89th minute, Alexiou rose highest to meet a free-kick cross with a header that beat Raffaelli, sealing a dramatic victory.

A win fought for until the very end, Inter Under-23 advance to the Round of 16, where they will face Renate.

OSPITALETTO 1 - 2 INTER U23 | SUMMARY

Goalscorers: 57' David (I), 81' Pollio (O), 89' Alexiou (I).

OSPITALETTO (4-4-2): 1 Raffaelli; 77 Casali, 24 Diop (45 Mazza 72'), 6 Possenti (33 Sina 61'), 13 Sinn; 16 Gualandris (14 Contessi 46'), 10 Ievoli, 74 Pollio, 17 Tunjov (11 Pavanello 46'); 70 Orlandi (98 Nahrudnyy 66'), 21 Torri. Substitutes: 12 Sonzogni, 22 Bevilacqua, 2 Regazzetti, 7 Messaggi, 9 Gobbi, 28 Panatti, 43 Guarneri, 99 Bertoli. Head Coach: Andrea Quaresmini.

INTER U23 (3-5-2): 1 Melgrati; 46 Cinquegrano, 15 Stante, 5 Alexiou; 11 Agbonifo, 9 Topalovic (23 Zarate 75'), 8 Fiordilino, 44 Berenbruch (10 Kamate 82'), 25 David; 30 Mosconi (2 Avitabile 63'), 34 Iddrissou (90 Lavelli 63'). Substitutes: 12 Raimondi, 41 Galliera, 3 Cocchi, 6 Mayé, 19 Prestia, 20 La Gumina, 33 Cerpelletti, 37 Kaczmarski. Head Coach: Stefano Vecchi.

Bookings: Berenbruch (I)

Added time: 1', 4' Referee: Andrea Palmieri (Brindisi) Assistant Referees: Nigri, Munitello Fourth Official: Frasynyak