SPAL and Atalanta move into Italian Cup quarter-finals

Serie B underdogs SPAL set up Juventus showdown following 2-0 win over Sassuolo… as in-form Atalanta also book place in Italian Cup quarter-finals after cruising 3-1 past Cagliari

  • Second division SPAL took an unexpected 2-0 win over Serie A team Sassuolo
  • Simone Missiroli and Lorenzo Dickmann scored to put the visitors through
  • Atalanta eased their way past a lacklustre Cagliari in a routine 3-1 victory
  • Aleksej Miranchuk, Luis Muriel and Bosko Sutalo all on score sheet for Atalanta

Second-tier team SPAL will face Serie A champions Juventus in the Italian Cup quarter-finals after winning 2-0 at 10-man Sassuolo on Thursday.

SPAL are the only Serie B side left in the competition.

Sassuolo, who had an impressive start to the Serie A season, were the better side in the first half. But the match turned immediately after the restart when midfielder Filip Duricic was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Spal defender Leonardo Sernicola.

Serie B side SPAL will face Juventus in the Italian Cup quarter-final after beating Sassuolo 2-0

SPAL’s Simone Missiroli (right) put his side ahead after slotting into the bottom right corner

Lorenzo Dickmann (centre) scored a second to set up SPAL’s showdown with Juventus

Spal took the lead two minutes later when Demba Seck ran into the area and pulled the ball back for Simone Missiroli to sidefoot into the bottom right corner.

The visitors doubled their advantage in the 58th minute. Marco D’Alessandro put in a cross from the left to the back post where Lorenzo Dickmann volleyed in from close range.

Sassuolo hit the post twice in the match.

Later, in-form Atalanta beat Cagliari 3-1 to advance to a quarter-final where they face either Lazio or Parma.

Aleksej Miranchuk scored Atalanta’s first in a routine 3-1 victory over a poor Cagliari side

Luis Muriel celebrates scoring Atalanta’s second of the night after Cagliari levelled the match

Aleksej Miranchuk broke the deadlock on the stroke of halftime. The Russia forward has now scored on his debut for Atalanta in Serie A, the Champions League and Italian Cup.

Cagliari goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario had pulled off a number of saves in the first half under an Atalanta siege and he continued to do the same after the break.

And the visitors were given hope when Riccardo Sottil leveled 10 minutes into the second half.

But Atalanta sealed the match shortly after with two goals in three minutes from Luis Muriel and Bosko Sutalo.

Defender Bosko Sutalo (right) wrapped up proceedings by turning in Atalanta’s third goal




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