Bologna are poised to book their place in the Coppa Italia final when they host Empoli at Stadio Renato Dall’Ara on Thursday. With a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, the Rossoblù have one foot in Rome and are now expected to wrap things up efficiently. The first meeting between these two was entirely one-sided. Bologna, led by standout winger Riccardo Orsolini and assisted by Dan Ndoye’s impressive delivery, overpowered a youthful Empoli side in Tuscany. Thijs Dallinga struck twice to put the tie beyond early doubt, and though he missed a chance to complete his hat-trick, Bologna’s dominance was never in question.

Their cup campaign so far has been a showcase of their progression under coach Vincenzo Italiano, having dispatched Monza and Atalanta to reach the final four for the first time in 25 years. Now aiming for their first Coppa Italia trophy since 1974, Bologna also have one eye on securing a Champions League spot. They’ve remained competitive in Serie A, drawing with Napoli and stunning Inter with a dramatic stoppage-time winner last weekend, keeping their top-four hopes alive.

In contrast, Empoli’s fairytale run to the semi-finals now seems like a distraction from a disastrous league campaign. Though they knocked out Fiorentina and Juventus in penalty shootouts earlier in the cup, their form in Serie A has completely unraveled. Winless in 17 league matches and stuck in the relegation zone, Empoli’s focus has clearly shifted back to survival. Manager Roberto D’Aversa fielded a weakened side in the first leg and is expected to do the same again, with a must-win league clash against Fiorentina looming on the weekend.

Injuries haven’t helped their cause. Several key players remain unavailable, including Youssef Maleh and Christian Kouame, while Ardian Ismajli is also a doubt. Even with recent returns from Ola Solbakken and Tino Anjorin, the squad lacks the depth and quality to compete with a motivated Bologna outfit.

With momentum, quality, and home advantage on their side, Bologna should finish the job without much resistance. The tie is all but over, and the Rossoblù can begin preparing for a Coppa Italia final against either Inter or Milan.

博洛尼亚将在周四主场迎战恩波利，他们将锁定意大利杯决赛的席位。在首回合3-0领先的情况下，Rossoblù已经在罗马站稳脚跟，现在他们希望能有效地完成比赛。他们两人的第一次会面完全是一边倒的。博洛尼亚在出色的边锋里卡多·奥索里尼的带领下，在丹·恩多耶令人印象深刻的助攻下，在托斯卡纳击败了年轻的恩波利。达林加梅开二度，打破了平局的悬念，虽然他错过了完成帽子戏法的机会，但博洛尼亚的统治地位毋庸置疑。

到目前为止，他们的杯赛之旅已经展示了他们在教练文森佐·意塔利亚诺的带领下取得的进步，他们25年来首次击败蒙扎和亚特兰大进入了四强。现在博洛尼亚的目标是自1974年以来的第一个意大利杯奖杯，他们也有一个目标是确保欧冠席位。他们在意甲联赛中保持了竞争力，上周末战平了那不勒斯，并在补时阶段戏剧性地绝杀了国米，保住了前四的希望。

相比之下，恩波利童话般的进入半决赛，现在看起来像是从灾难性的联赛中分散注意力。尽管他们在杯赛早期的点球大战中淘汰了佛罗伦萨和尤文图斯，但他们在意甲的状态已经完全瓦解。17场联赛无胜，被困在降级区，恩波利的重点显然已经转移回生存。主教练罗伯托·达维萨在首回合派出了一支实力较弱的球队，由于周末必须赢得与佛罗伦萨的联赛比赛，他预计将再次这样做。

伤病对他们的事业没有帮助。几名关键球员仍然无法上场，包括尤塞夫·马勒和克里斯蒂安·库阿梅，而阿蒂安·伊斯马吉里也不确定。即使最近索尔巴肯和安约林的回归，球队仍然缺乏深度和实力来与充满斗志的博洛尼亚竞争。

凭借强劲的势头、实力和主场优势，博洛尼亚应该能在没有太多阻力的情况下完成任务。比赛即将结束，Rossoblù可以开始准备对阵国际米兰或米兰的意大利杯决赛了。