Empoli secured a place in the Coppa Italia semi-finals with a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Juventus on Wednesday after holding the defending champions to a 1-1 draw in regular time.
Dusan Vlahovic fired Juve’s first penalty over the bar before Empoli goalkeeper Devis Vasquez denied Kenan Yildiz, allowing Luca Marianucci to seal the victory for the visitors.
Youssef Maleh opened the scoring for Empoli in the 24th minute with a powerful strike from distance, but Khephren Thuram equalized for Juventus after the hour mark with a brilliant solo effort.
Playing in their first quarterfinal since 2006-07, Empoli will now face Bologna in April’s two-legged semifinal, while Inter Milan and AC Milan battle for the other final spot.
