Serie A leaders Inter eased through to the Coppa Italia quarter-finals by beating Cagliari 3-0, while third-tier side US Alessandria also advanced after upsetting Genoa 2-1 on Tuesday.
Rodrigo Palacio, Marcelo Brozovic and Ivan Perisic scored at the San Siro to set up a quarter-final against SSC Napoli or Hellas Verona.
Alessandria — who beat Serie A side US Citta di Palermo in the previous round — became the first third-tier side to reach the quarter-finals in 32 years.
Photo: AP
Alessandria had to play the final 15 minutes and all of extra-time with 10 men after Gianni Manfrin went off injured when they had already made three substitutions.
Genoa fan Manuel Marras scored the opener as well as setting up Riccardo Bocalon’s 114th-minute winner.
“I have been a Genoa fan since birth. My father is Genoese, I played for Genoa [youth team], but I celebrated because after a goal you have to celebrate. I am with Alessandria, but I will always carry Genoa in my heart,” Marras said.
“With grit, sacrifice and team spirit, you can play anyone anywhere. The coach [Angelo Gregucci] is instilling in us a winning mentality. He has united the group and we owe a great part of this to him,” he added.
Leonardo Pavoletti headed in Diego Perotti’s free-kick in stoppage-time to force extra-time.
In Milan, Inter took the lead in the first half when Palacio turned a deflected Juan Jesus cross into an empty net.
Cagliari could have equalized early in the second half when Fabio Pisacane’s glancing header crashed off the base of the left post.
Brozovic all but sealed the match with 20 minutes to go with a stunning strike from outside the area into the far corner, giving young goalkeeper Alessio Cragno no chance.
The midfielder was instrumental in the third goal, too, with an effort that came off the right post, and the rebound was turned in by Perisic.
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