Sassuolo crumbled after Filip Djuricic’s red card, crashing out of the Coppa Italia 2-0, so SPAL book their quarter-final date with Juventus.
SPAL are the only remaining Serie B side in the Coppa Italia, having eliminated Bari, Crotone, Monza, and now also Sassuolo.
Djuricic was unlucky not to put the hosts in front after 23 minutes, as his ferocious strike from eight yards on a poor clearance bounced off the inside of the far post.
Sassuolo crumbled after Filip Djuricic’s red card, crashing out of the Coppa Italia 2-0, so SPAL book their quarter-final date with Juventus.
SPAL are the only remaining Serie B side in the Coppa Italia, having eliminated Bari, Crotone, Monza, and now also Sassuolo.
Djuricic was unlucky not to put the hosts in front after 23 minutes, as his ferocious strike from eight yards on a poor clearance bounced off the inside of the far post.
Mert Muldur at one end and Lorenzo Dickmann at the other fired just off target, but on 41 minutes Sassuolo had a double chance.
First Giacomo Raspadori stung the goalkeeper’s gloves, then Brian Oddei blasted the follow-up wide.
There was a turning point at the dawn of the second half when Djuricic went in very high and clumsily on Leonardo Sernicola, catching him on the inside of the knee. After viewing it on VAR, the referee opted for a straight red card.
Moments later, SPAL took full advantage by taking the lead when Demba Seck dribbled to the by-line and pulled back for Simone Missiroli to tap in from five yards.
SPAL added a second with Marco D’Alessandro’s cross from the left finding Dickmann for the volley at the back post.
It just wasn’t Sassuolo’s day, as they hit the frame of the goal for the second time with a Mert Muldur angled drive.
Seck could’ve added a third on the counter in stoppages, but drilled wide.
Sassuolo 0-2 SPAL
Missiroli 49 (Sp), Dickmann 58 (Sp)
Sassuolo: Pegolo; Muldur, Marlon, Peluso, Rogerio (Kyriakopoulos 85); Obiang, Lopez (Ayhan 68); Oddei (Haraslin 68), Djuricic, Boga (Schiappacasse 46); Raspadori
SPAL: Berisha; Spaltro (Ranieri 68), Vicari (Tomovic 46), Sernicola; Dickman, Missiroli, Murgia, D'Alessandro (Sala 68); Di Francesco (Seck 26), Brignola (Strefezza 91); Floccari
Ref: Camplone
Sent off: Djuricic 47 (Sa)