Atalanta assistant coach Tullio Gritti insists the Coppa Italia semifinal is alive despite a first-leg defeat to Fiorentina.

The Viola won the first-leg 1-0 thanks to Rolando Mandragora's screamer.

With coach Gian Piero Gasperini serving a touchline ban, Gritti stepped up and said: “The first 45 minutes were not the best of our season, but we must also give credit to Fiorentina.

“They did something more than us, whereas after the break we had our opportunities and could've equalised. It's true also that they could've scored more, but our goalkeeper did very well.

“It was a difficult match against a strong opponent, but the second leg is all to play for and we will be in front of our home crowd, who can give us a hand.

“The real issue was that we misplaced too many passes out from the back, we should've had more courage. They pressed, but we still managed to create scoring opportunities and were only beaten by an extraordinary goal that came frankly out of the least dangerous situation.

“Of course, we know Mandragora is capable of those shots, as Gasperini gave him his Serie A debut for Genoa when he marked a certain Paul Pogba out of the game."