Mauro Icardi’s last-gasp penalty in extra-time forced a shoot-out, but Radja Nainggolan missed as SS Lazio on Thursday eliminated Inter to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Lucas Leiva converted the decisive penalty for a 5-4 win at the San Siro after the match had finished 1-1 following extra-time.
Ciro Immobile had broken the deadlock after 108 minutes when he blasted in following an exchange with Felipe Caicedo, but there was more drama with Inter awarded a contested penalty after 125 minutes, when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic fouled Danilo D’Ambrosio.
Photo: AP
Icardi cooly slotted in with the last kick of extra-time to revive home hopes.
However, Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha saved Lautaro Martinez’s effort and got his fingers to Nainggolan’s kick which went high before Leiva scored the winner.
“We deserved to go through and should have won earlier, but it was almost snatched away from us,” Immobile said. “Now we hope to get revenge on [AC] Milan.”
Lazio last season lost the Coppa Italia semi-final to Milan on penalties.
The victory replicates Lazio’s 2-1 victory over Inter in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals exactly two years ago.
“We were a little awkward at the start, but as the game came alive we were in the game until the end. Then we got a bit frantic, which doesn’t work against Lazio,” Inter coach Luciano Spalletti said.
Lazio are to play AC Milan over two legs in the semi-finals.
The second semi-final is to see ACF Fiorentina take on Atalanta BC, 3-0 winners over four-time defending champions Juventus.
The semi-finals are to be played on Feb. 27 and April 24.
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