Bologna beats Inter Milan on penalties to qualify for Italian Super Cup final

News > Sports News

Bologna's Ciro Immobile, center, celebrates with teammates Emil Holm, left, and Giovanni Fabbian after scoring the winning goal during a penalty shoot out at the end of an Italian Super Cup semi-final soccer match between Bologna and Inter Milan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Bologna's Ciro Immobile scores the winning goal during a penalty shoot out at the end of an Italian Super Cup semi-final soccer match between Bologna and Inter Milan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri) — Bologna's Ciro Immobile, center, celebrates with teammates Emil Holm, left, and Giovanni Fabbian after scoring the winning goal during a penalty shoot out at the end of an Italian Super Cup semi-final soccer match between Bologna and Inter Milan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Audio By Carbonatix

1:45 PM on Friday, December 19, 2025

The Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Bologna will meet Napoli in next week’s Italian Super Cup final after beating Inter Milan 3-2 on penalties following a tight-fought 1-1 draw in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Ciro Immobile scored the deciding spot kick for Super Cup debutant Bologna after Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella and Ange-Yoan Bonny all missed for Inter.

Lews Ferguson and Jonathan Rowe also scored for Bologna, while Lautaro Martinez and Stefan de Vrij converted for Inter.

The result means Bologna will play Napoli on Monday in Riyadh. Serie A champion Napoli beat AC Milan 2-0 in the first semifinal on Thursday.

The Italian Super Cup is played between the winners and runners-up of last season’s Serie A and Italian Cup, with all the games in Saudi Arabia.

Inter took the lead after just 70 seconds at Al-Awwal Park Stadium in Riyadh. Bastoni drove forward before crossing to the far post where Marcus Thuram volleyed home spectacularly.

Bologna got back on level terms 10 minutes before halftime through Riccardo Orsolini. The former Juventus winger scored from the penalty spot after Yann Bisseck was adjudged to have handled.

Both sides had chances to win in regulation time but profligate finishing and good goalkeeping sent the game to penalties.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer