The home team twice took the lead but were pegged back in regular time, with Ordonez scoring the decisive penalty.
Parma narrowly advanced past Spezia in a dramatic penalty shootout, securing a 6-5 victory after a 2-2 draw in regular time. This hard-fought win earns them a Coppa Italia Round of 16 clash against reigning champions Bologna at the Dall`Ara. However, Cuesta`s team will need to show significant improvement if they are to truly challenge their next opponents. The performance seen yesterday at the Tardini against Spezia was decidedly subdued: too many defensive lapses, an inability to close out the game, a lack of attacking creativity, and an inexplicably passive approach in the second half. Spezia, despite not being in their best form, displayed remarkable strength and courage to stay in the game, equalizing even with a numerical disadvantage after Plicco`s sending off, and ultimately bowing out only in the penalty shootout. An honorable elimination for them.
A Golden Header
In the opening twenty minutes, Spezia dominated possession in Parma`s half, though they rarely found a clear path to Suzuki`s goal. Parma pressed and recovered the ball, but lacked the incisiveness to unleash Pellegrino. The deadlock was finally broken from a corner kick: the ball emerged at the edge of the area where debutant Britschgi, with a precise side-footed shot, directed it into the corner. Cuesta`s side pushed for a second goal, with Benedyczak heading wide in the 31st minute and Estevez unleashing a powerful shot from distance in the 42nd. However, despite appearing to be in total control, Parma allowed a momentary lapse, and Spezia capitalized: a glaring defensive error facilitated Aurelio`s run for the equalizer. Undeterred, Parma immediately regrouped and went back on the attack. It was Pellegrino, heading home despite wearing a protective helmet after a knock suffered last Sunday, who restored Parma`s lead to 2-1 just before halftime.
Confused Ideas
Parma`s players returned for the second half looking disoriented and sluggish, an inexplicable attitude given the precarious scoreline. After an early attempt from the ever-present Pellegrino in the 52nd minute (well saved by Sarr), the Emilians retreated into their own half, ceding control to Spezia – a poor decision. D`Angelo`s men, who have struggled in the league but possess good technical quality, began to gain ground, and though they didn`t create many clear-cut chances, they kept their opponents on edge. In the 77th minute, young Plicco pressed Candela in midfield, committing a foul in a seemingly harmless zone. It was a bad tackle, resulting in a straight red card, confirmed by VAR. Cuesta then brought on Bernabè for Pellegrino and adopted a conservative 5-3-1 formation, while D`Angelo introduced Soleri for Onofri, switching to an aggressive 4-3-3. It was a quick move from Lapadula in the 82nd minute that leveled the score at 2-2, highlighting another defensive lapse by Parma`s defenders (notably Troilo and Circati)! The match proceeded to penalties, where Parma triumphed thanks to a save by Suzuki (from Soleri), a wild shot over the bar by Lapadula, and the decisive final penalty from the Argentine Ordonez.
