Catanzaro and South Tyrol played out a 2:2 draw in the Coppa Italia Round of 64 on Friday evening. The result sends both sides into the next stage, though neither side can claim a decisive advantage. To be fair, the match carried more tension than the scoreline suggests, with momentum shifting several times across ninety minutes.
Pyyhtia opened the scoring in the seventeenth minute, putting Catanzaro ahead early. South Tyrol responded through Pafundi in the twenty-seventh, and the half ended level. Davi picked up a yellow card in the fortieth before being substituted at the break, a movement that briefly unsettled the home side's shape.
Iemmello restored Catanzaro's lead in the fifty-third minute, and for a spell the hosts looked comfortable. South Tyrol's response came through Mixtur in the eighty-fifth minute, and the stadium fell silent as the away side clawed their way back from behind. The late equaliser meant the tie remained open until the final whistle.
Catanzaro dominated possession at 55 per cent and registered 87 attacks compared with 48 for the visitors. They created two big chances and landed four shots on target, yet only converted one. South Tyrol managed three shots on target from fewer opportunities and turned their single big chance into a goal. The figures show a side that controlled territory but paid for a sloppy opening.
Both teams received two yellow cards, with Davi, Antonini, Lopes and Alesi all cautioned. There were nine substitutions between the sides, with Catanzaro making five and South Tyrol four. The result leaves the tie balanced, and both managers will look for improvement in the return fixture.