Lazio ended Cittadella’s Coppa Italia fairy-tale with a 4-1 result, including goals by Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson, and will face Fiorentina.
The Aquile sweep through to the quarter-final against the Viola on December 26.
Serie B outfit Cittadella already knocked Bologna and SPAL out of the tournament and visited the Stadio Olimpico, where Felipe Anderson was given his first start of the season. Ciro Immobile was in the XI just days after a controversial red card in their Serie A defeat to Torino.
Lazio ended Cittadella’s Coppa Italia fairy-tale with a 4-1 result, including goals by Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson, and will face Fiorentina.
The Aquile sweep through to the quarter-final against the Viola on December 26.
Serie B outfit Cittadella already knocked Bologna and SPAL out of the tournament and visited the Stadio Olimpico, where Felipe Anderson was given his first start of the season. Ciro Immobile was in the XI just days after a controversial red card in their Serie A defeat to Torino.
The deadlock was broken when Immobile sprung the offside trap on a Sergej Milinkovic-Savic through ball and went round the goalkeeper to deposit into the net from the tightest of angles.
Moments later, Milinkovic-Savic almost made it 2-0, his looping header from a Jordan Lukaku cross bouncing off the top of the crossbar. A Felipe Anderson free header went well over, again with the scenario set up by Milinkovic-Savic.
Cittadella weren’t just sparring partners, as Thomas Strakosha had his gloves stung by a ferocious Giulio Fasolo strike from distance.
However, Felipe Anderson ran on to an inspired Lucas Leiva through ball to nutmeg the on-rushing goalkeeper for his first goal of the campaign.
Defender Wallace got his name on the scoresheet with a header from an Alessandro Murgia corner, although replays suggest Agostino Camigliano got the final touch.
Cittadella got back into it with a genuine missile of a free kick that Paolo Bartolomei blasted into the roof of the net, confusing goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha.
The second half was considerably calmer, but Lucas Leiva, Andrea Settembrini and Senad Lulic had efforts charged down. Strakosha got down very well for a one-handed save on Bartolomei’s daisy-cutter at the 83rd minute.
Immobile completed his brace late on, running on to another inspired Lucas Leiva through ball to dink it over the goalkeeper.
Lazio 4-1 Cittadella
Immobile 11, 87 (L), Felipe Anderson 25 (L), Camigliano og 36 (L), Bartolomei 41 (C)
Lazio: Strakosha; Wallace (Luiz Felipe 86), De Vrij, Patric; Basta, Murgia, Leiva, Lukaku; Milinkovic-Savic (Lulic 72); Felipe Anderson (Caicedo 64), Immobile
Cittadella: Paleari; Pelagatti, Camigliano (Salvi 61), Adorni, Pezzi; Settembrini, Bartolomei, Lora; Chiaretti (Schenetti 65); Arrighini, Fasolo (Kouame 76)
Ref: Pinzani