The Coppa Italia began today with both Udinese and Cagliari finding it surprisingly difficult to squeeze past Feralpisalò and Perugia respectively.
The First Round kicked off this evening with one Serie A side involved at the Dacia Arena.
Udinese got off to a strong start, Gerard Deulofeu converting a penalty for a foul on Isaac Success and the striker scoring the second himself on the counter-attack.
However, they also had huge gaps in defence, saved once by the offside flag, but not the second time when Luca Siligardi blasted in on the half-volley.
Iacopo Cernigoi repeatedly tested goalkeeper Marco Silvestri, as the crowd began to get a little irritated towards the end with this performance against a Serie C side.
Udinese held on to win 2-1 and will face Monza or Frosinone in the Second Round, which will be in October.
Cagliari found it extremely tricky to get the better of Serie B outfit Perugia, despite taking the lead immediately through Giorgio Altare’s header on a Nicolas Viola corner.
The visitors turned it around in Sardinia through Federico Melchiorri’s strike and a Giuseppe Di Serio angled drive.
Stipe Vulikic brought down Zito and Gianluca Lapadula converted the penalty to equalise.
It remained wide open, as Melchiorri thumped the crossbar, but Viola won it for Cagliari by blasting a free kick into the roof of the net.
Cagliari will play the winners of Bologna vs. Cosenza in the Second Round.
Cagliari 3-2 Perugia
Altare 2 (C), Melchiorri 32 (P), Di Serio 67 (P), Lapadula pen 80 (C), Viola 89 (C)
Udinese 2-1 Feralpisalò
Deulofeu pen 12 (U), Success 64 (U), Siligardi 67 (F)