Mantova stun Palermo with five-goal comeback in Coppa Italia
Mantova overturned a half-time deficit to beat Palermo 5:2 in the Coppa Italia Round of 32 on Wednesday evening. The hosts went behind early when Gabriel Strefezza found the net in the ninth minute, then Palermo added a penalty through Antonio Palumbo on the stroke of half-time. By then Mantova had made three changes and the match turned. Francesco Ruocco and Rachid Kouda struck in quick succession after the break before Joel Pohjanpalo added a second of his own.
And here's the thing about that first half — Mantova thought they had scored through Ettore Gliozzi just before the interval, but VAR ruled it out. Palumbo converted his penalty shortly after, and the visitors held a two-goal cushion at the break. Mantova came out with urgency, and it showed immediately. Ruocco put them level in the 52nd minute, then Kouda restored their advantage in the 55th. Palermo's Alessandro Gabrielloni saw yellow for a challenge, and by then the momentum had shifted decisively.
Pohjanpalo made it three within ten minutes, tapping in after a well-worked move in the 70th minute. Palermo responded with four substitutions in a single window, bringing on Gabrielloni, Palumbo and Magnani alongside another player. Mantova kept their foot on the gas, with Claudio Gomes and Tommaso Del Lungo also coming on as the match opened up. Francesco Ruocco picked up a second booking in the 62nd minute, but the damage was already done.
Dennis Johnsen extended the lead in the 89th minute, and Pohjanpalo completed his brace five minutes into stoppage time to make it five. Palermo had been more accurate with their shooting — nine shots on target compared to Mantova's eight — but Mantova's conversion rate told the story. The visitors finished with six saves from their keeper, while Mantova's man made four. Possession sat at 56 per cent for the hosts, and it was their efficiency that mattered.
Mantova's result extends their recent winning streak, following victories over Empoli, Carrarese and Lazio in the weeks before this fixture. Palermo's form has been mixed, with defeats to Juventus and Juventus Stabia among their last five outings. The Coppa Italia tie is now over, and Mantova advance to the next round with a performance that combined patience with ruthless finishing when it counted.
