A never-give-up Ravenna reaches the Coppa Italia semifinals through a penalty shootout victory against Cjarlins Muzane. The yellow-and-reds fall behind twice but equalize at the last moment with Guida, before clinching the win from the penalty spot.

As expected, Ravenna fielded a significantly rotated squad for this quarterfinal, with Marchionni giving space to players who had seen less playing time. Despite this, the yellow-and-reds immediately looked to take control of the match, coming close to scoring on a couple of occasions through the Di Renzo-Guida partnership, which was particularly inspired. However, Cjarlins didn’t sit back, and in the 28th minute, they took advantage of a mistake by Galassi to score the opening goal through Dalla Giovanna.
The visitors’ joy was short-lived, though. Calandrini produced a brilliant vertical ball for Di Renzo, who had no trouble beating Giust to level the score. In the second half, Ravenna pushed harder, despite the uneven pitch, but struggled to find the go-ahead goal. It was Cjarlins who took the lead again, with Camara timing his run to perfection on the edge of the offside trap, bypassing Galassi and delivering a perfect assist for captain Pegollo, who slotted the ball into the net for a 2-1 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
Ravenna, however, didn’t give up and surged forward. After sustained pressure, which saw the Cjarlins goalkeeper in action, in the 94th minute, the Benelli stadium erupted: Di Renzo, battling between the defenders, laid the ball off to Guida, who unleashed a perfect curled shot into the top corner of the net.
The qualification was decided by penalties: Galassi redeemed his earlier mistake by saving Cjarlins’ Nunic’s fourth attempt. Thanks to the yellow-and-reds’ flawless penalty-taking, Ravenna earned their place in the semifinals, where they will face Lavagnese.

A victory of character for Ravenna, who triumphs at Lentigione and sends a strong message to the league. Despite a pitch made heavy by the heavy rain, Marchionni’s men continue to rack up points and put pressure on the top two.

The match is decided in the first fifteen minutes, with Ravenna scoring twice in quick succession. In the 5th minute, Rrapaj delivers a brilliant assist to Manuzzi, who is fouled just outside the box. The referee has no hesitation and awards the penalty: from the spot, Manuzzi is clinical and gives the yellow-and-reds the lead. Just two minutes later, the Rrapaj-Manuzzi combination strikes again. The captain plays a through ball to number 19, who skips past Gasperini and slots the ball into the empty net for the second goal.

However, Lentigione doesn’t give up and pulls one back in the 12th minute. From a lateral free kick, the ball ricochets to Lombardi, who finds the corner of the net and reduces the deficit. Ravenna, driven by their attacking initiative, continues to be dangerous, especially on the side of the pitch less affected by the mud. Biagi and Venturini come close to scoring the third goal on several occasions.

In the second half, Lentigione tries to take control of the match but struggles to create dangerous opportunities. The yellow-and-reds exploit the spaces on the counterattack and create several chances to seal the win, with Lordkipanidze, Onofri, and Di Renzo, who just misses the final blow. The home side’s late pressure yields no results, and Ravenna manages their lead comfortably until the final whistle.

Another excellent performance from Marchionni’s team, who have now collected 7 out of 9 points against the league’s top contenders, keeping their title hopes alive. Focus now shifts to the upcoming matches: Wednesday at the Benelli for the Coppa Italia semifinal against Cjarlins Muzane, and Sunday against Progresso for the final league fixture of 2024.

Tomorrow afternoon, the most anticipated match of the day: Ravenna FC will visit Lentigione in a clash between two of the most in-form teams in the group. The teams arrive at this game level on points, just one point behind the leaders, Forlì and Tau, with a clear goal of continuing their pursuit of the top spots in the league.

The two teams recently faced each other in the Coppa Italia, where the yellow-and-reds triumphed thanks to the decisive goal by Drapelli.

Stefano Cassani’s Lentigione boasts the best defense in the league, having conceded only 8 goals, a statistic that highlights the solidity of the yellow-and-reds’ next opponents. Under the guidance of Marco Marchionni, Ravenna FC has shown great defensive cohesion, conceding just 5 goals in the last 11 matches played between the league and the Coppa Italia. These numbers confirm that tomorrow’s match will be of high level, where every detail could make the difference.

Lentigione comes into the match riding a wave of enthusiasm, having won 6 consecutive games, a run that confirms their extraordinary form. For Ravenna, an impeccable performance will be necessary to achieve a positive result and continue dreaming of the top spot.

The match will also have a special significance for some former yellow-and-red players. Coach Stefano Cassani spent four years in the Ravenna youth system, while Lentigione’s captain, Sabba, wore the yellow-and-red shirt for three and a half seasons. Another former player, Gobbo, who was a key figure for Ravenna last season, will not be part of the game due to an eye injury.

For Ravenna, Nappello will still be unavailable due to a calf issue, and the newly signed Mereghetti will miss the match due to a muscular strain. Despite these absences, the team will be supported by a large group of yellow-and-red fans who will travel to the stadium to cheer the players on in this crucial clash.

The stadium ticket offices will open at 13:00, with tickets available directly at the counter. Kick-off is scheduled for 14:30 tomorrow.

The club announces that the transfer of Marco Mereghetti to the yellow-and-red team has been finalized. The player had played the first part of the season with San Marino.

Mereghetti is a right-winger born in 2006, who grew up in the Monza youth academy. Last season, he played for both San Giuliano City and Pergolettese before moving to San Marino in the summer, where he made 15 appearances, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

Already at the disposal of coach Marchionni, he has chosen the number 32 shirt.