Fiorentina were on the front foot from the word go and Cabral put them in front 20 minutes into the game with a towering header, after he was brilliantly set up by defender Cristiano Biraghi.

Fiorentina were awarded a penalty for a handball by Emanuel Aiwu, who got sent off, and Gonzalez doubled their lead in the 75th minute with a precise shot from the spot, which the Argentina international sent into the bottom left corner.

The game reflected the 27-point gap between the teams in the Serie A standings, with Fiorentina enjoying the lion’s share of the possession while bottom side Cremonese only managed a shot on target in the second half.

Cremonese, who are playing their second Italian Cup semifinal and first since 1986-87, eliminated AS Roma in the quarter-finals and Napoli in last 16.

Juventus and Inter Milan shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw in the other semifinal first leg on Tuesday. The second-leg games will be played on April 26 and 27.