章 95: Chapter 95: Advancing to the Coppa Italia Final
Chapter 95: Advancing to the Coppa Italia Final
After the game resumed, Fiorentina, with two defenders already booked, played more passively. In the 61st minute, they conceded another goal.
This time, the scorer was the defender Erto, and the assist wasn't from Bruno but Mahrez, although Bruno had passed the ball to Mahrez who then set up Erto. Erto's powerful shot rolled along the ground into the near corner, making it 4-1.
Just one minute after Erto's goal, Bruno was substituted off by Guidolin along with the team captain Di Natale. Clearly, with the outcome seemingly decided, Guidolin was preserving his key players for upcoming matches.
Basta, the vice-captain, and the forward Muriel came on. Interestingly, Basta didn't take up his usual position as right-back but replaced Bruno as the attacking midfielder, a role Basta had played in his first two seasons at Udinese but had since been displaced to the right-back or even further wide due to Bruno's arrival.
As Bruno slapped hands with Basta, Guidolin pulled him close, patted his back, and whispered in his ear, "Well done, kid. Now rest up."
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Ultimately, Udinese triumphed over Fiorentina 4-1 at home. With such a significant lead, the two-legged tie lost its suspense after just this first match.
Post-match, Bruno was once again named man of the match by the Italian media. However, a single match award no longer held much allure for Bruno; he had already received man of the match honors in no fewer than 20 games this season, accounting for over half of all matches.
Even being named Serie A Player of the Month was becoming routine for him. In October, Bruno scored five goals and provided one assist in four league matches, securing a monthly award for the first time in his career. In December, he won it again after netting three goals and four assists, including victories over heavyweights Juventus and Napoli.
In January, Bruno was again a candidate for the monthly award after contributing one goal and five assists, but Udinese's poor results of three draws and one loss hindered his chance of winning for the third time that season.
Additionally, on January 27th, at Italy's Oscar Night, Bruno was named the Serie B Player of the Season for 2012-2013. Although not as glamorous as being Serie A's best, his award was well deserved.
During his acceptance speech, the host jokingly suggested that Bruno might be receiving the Serie A MVP the following year. This comment drew laughter from the audience, not because it was funny, but because it was a distinct possibility.
At that time, Udinese was third in Serie A, only eight points behind leaders Juventus, with hopes still alive for the title. Personally, Bruno had scored 14 goals and provided 17 assists in 21 league matches, leading both the goal-scoring and assists charts.
If Udinese could maintain their top-three status by season's end, even if they didn't clinch the title, Bruno's performance alone would make him a strong contender for the MVP.
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On February 8th, Udinese faced Chievo in the 23rd round of Serie A. With minimal rotation needed due to the manageable first leg against Fiorentina, key players including Bruno and Di Natale started the match.
The teams battled fiercely in the first half but missed scoring opportunities. In the 30th minute, Chievo's forward Tello hit the post, and in the 36th minute, Bruno's brilliant pass allowed Di Natale a one-on-one chance, but his lob was heroically saved by the Chievo goalkeeper, Puggioni.
Udinese finally broke through in the 56th minute when Basta's pass set up Di Natale for a right-footed shot from the right side of the box, marking his 17th league goal of the season.
Di Natale's tally reached 193 Serie A goals, placing him seventh on the all-time scorers list, just behind Baggio who had 205. Only Totti, still active with 232 goals, had more among current players.
With his scoring rate, Di Natale was likely to surpass Baggio by season's end and possibly even challenge other legendary figures in future seasons.
In the 74th minute, Pereira, coming on as a substitute, crossed from the flank for Bruno to score at the far post, making it 2-0.
In the 86th minute, Bruno set up Badu for the final goal, securing a 3-0 victory.
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On the evening of February 11th, Udinese played away at Fiorentina in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. With a comfortable lead from the first leg, Guidolin rotated heavily, resting key players including Bruno and Di Natale.
Despite losing 2-0 on the night, Udinese advanced with a 4-3 aggregate score, reaching the Coppa Italia final for the first time in 92 years.
With the final not until May, Udinese could now focus on their league campaign, where they were still in contention for the title.
The following weekend, in Serie A's 24th round, Udinese faced Genoa away. This match marked Guidolin's 172nd in Serie A with Udinese, tying him with the club's legendary coach Bagnoli.
Despite the occasion, the celebration was spoiled as Udinese couldn't secure a win, with the game ending 3-3 after a spirited comeback from Genoa. (End of Chapter)
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