Holders Inter are out of the Coppa Italia after a dramatic extra time defeat to Bologna, as Joshua Zirkzee provided two assists and Lautaro Martinez saw a penalty saved.
It means the Rossoblu will face Fiorentina in the quarter-finals next month and Inter go out after winning this trophy two years running.
These sides drew 2-2 in Serie A in October and were two of the form teams in Italy, as the Rossoblu climbed into fourth place. Alexis Sanchez, Denzel Dumfries, Juan Cuadrado and Stefan de Vrij were out of action, with Benjamin Pavard back on the bench, while the visitors missed Riccardo Orsolini, Jesper Karlsson and Adama Soumaoro.
Marko Arnautovic facing his former club hit a fresh-air shot in the opening minutes, then Federico Ravaglia beat away the Davy Klaassen chest and volley.
Giovanni Fabbian, who is a product of the Inter youth academy, almost scored a spectacular back-heel flick off the outside of the boot from 12 yards, as it skimmed the upright.
Ravaglia got down quickly for an excellent reaction save as Davide Frattesi met the Carlos Augusto roll across from the left from nine yards.
Frattesi shinned a ball from 10 yards when rolled across by Alessandro Bastoni after the restart, then Arnautovic missed an even simpler opportunity after Bologna gave the ball away cheaply.
Inter received a penalty after the VAR on-field review, as Tommaso Corazza had a high and wide arm flailing when the corner came in. However, Lautaro Martinez’s rather central spot-kick was parried by Ravaglia.
Lautaro Martinez also ballooned over after a good Yann Bisseck run, while Carlos Augusto’s strike was deflected inches past the far top corner.
Federico Dimarco came on and was sent through by Marcus Thuram only for Ravaglia to fingertip the finish over the bar.
For the fourth year running, Inter had to go into extra time in the Coppa Italia Round of 16.
Benjamin Pavard made his comeback from injury, but it was Carlos Augusto who broke the deadlock with a relatively free header from Dimarco’s corner.
Lautaro Martinez was limping and had treatment at the top of his left thigh, so was replaced by Henrikh Mkhitaryan to let him rest.
Bologna managed to equalise on their first corner of the match after 112 minutes. Lykogiannis whipped it in, Joshua Zirkzee kept the ball in play at the by-line with an acrobatic flying back-heel flick and Sam Beukema volleyed into the roof of the net from six yards.
The turnaround was complete four minutes later, as Zirkzee was again the assist man with a perfectly weighted through ball that Dan Ndoye ran onto, dinking it over the on-rushing Emil Audero.
Inter 1-2 Bologna (aet)
Carlos Augusto 92 (I), Beukema 112 (B), Ndoye 116 (B)
Saved penalty: Lautaro Martinez 64 (I)
Player statistic
| 41' |  |
Charalampos Lykogiannis |
| 58' | |
Sydney van Hooijdonk | ||
| Lautaro Martínez |  |
65' | ||
| 88' | |
Giovanni Fabbian | ||
| Yann Bisseck | |
90+5' |
| Carlos Augusto (Assist: Federico Dimarco) |
 |
92' | ||
| Matteo Darmian | |
100' | ||
| Benjamin Pavard | |
103' | ||
| Nicolò Barella | |
109' | ||
| 112' | |
Sam Beukema (Assist: Joshua Zirkzee) | ||
| 116' | |
Dan Ndoye (Assist: Joshua Zirkzee) |
Match statistic
