Lega Pro side Alessandria earned a shock 2-1 victory in extra time to eliminate Genoa and reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
This Round of 16 tie saw Alessandria come to Marassi, fresh from a shock 3-2 victory to knock out Palermo and at stake was a quarter-final between the winners of Roma–Spezia. They hadn't been at this stage since losing the Final in 1935-36.
Lega Pro side Alessandria earned a shock 2-1 victory in extra time to eliminate Genoa and reach the Coppa Italia quarter-finals.
This Round of 16 tie saw Alessandria come to Marassi, fresh from a shock 3-2 victory to knock out Palermo and at stake was a quarter-final between the winners of Roma-Spezia. They hadn't been at this stage since losing the Final in 1935-36.
The minnows had the stronger start, as Antimo Iunco’s first touch let him down in the box, then on another opportunity fired straight at the goalkeeper before Manuel Marras blasted just over the bar.
Genoa threatened just before the break with Leonardo Pavoletti forcing a desperate reaction save.
Alessandria took a deserved lead straight after the restart, as Marras burst past Armando Izzo to complete a rapid counter-attack.
The hosts poured forward, but Diego Perotti just failed to get on the end of an Oliver Ntcham cross, Pavoletti fired over an empty net and Gianmarco Vannucchi palmed away a Panagiotis Tachtsidis strike.
Alessandria had to play the final 15 minutes with 10 men, as Gianni Manfrin picked up a muscular injury when all the substitutions were completed.
Vannucchi denied Ntcham again, but in stoppages Genoa found their equaliser when Perotti’s free kick found the head of Pavoletti. This forced extra time with Alessandria still reduced to 10.
Nonetheless, Manuel Fischnaller almost restored their lead by thumping the crossbar with his header and Riccardo Bocalon wasn’t sharp enough on the rebound.
Darko Lazovic and Perotti failed to get the better of Vannucchi, as the goalkeeper was also decisive on Tomas Rincon.
Just as the 10 men of Alessandria seemed to be buckling under this siege, they went in front when Marras went on the counter and rolled across for Bocalon to find the empty net.
Pavoletti and Lazovic wasted the final chances to at least force penalties, as Alessandria emerged with another shock Coppa success.
Genoa 1-2 Alessandria (aet)
Scorers: Marras 46 (A), Pavoletti 92 (G), Bocalon 114 (A)
Genoa: Lamanna; Izzo (Gakpe 50), Burdisso, Ansaldi; Figueiras, Ntcham (Lazovic 90), Rincon, Tachtsidis, Laxalt; Pavoletti, Pandev (Perotti 50)
Alessandria: Vannucchil; Celjak, Sosa, Sirri, Manfrin; Vitofrancesco (Cittadino 71), Branca, Nicco; Marras, Marconi (Bocalon 63), Iunco (Fischnaller 46)
Ref: Banti