Milan, Inter ease into Italian Cup quarter-finals
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-01-13 15:25

AC Milan and city rival Inter joined hands in reaching the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup with comfortable wins on Wednesday.

A first-half goal by midfielder Cristian Brocchi and a late JonDahl Tomasson penalty ensured Milan to beat Palermo 2-0 at the SanSiro stadium and a 4-1 aggregate victory.

Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins, seen here in 2004, scored a superb second-half hat-trick as Inter Milan joined Fiorentina in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup with a 3-1 victory at Bologna. [AFP]

Inter advanced courtesy of a hat-trick by Obafemi Martins, and Fiorentina and Sampdoria also booked a place in the last eight.

Milan took the lead in the 19th minute, when a dipping drive byBrocchi bounced over diving goalkeeper Nicola Santoni.

Milan's dominance grew after the break and it sealed the resultin the 77th minute, when Christian Terlizzi tripped Tomasson in the box to give away a penalty, which the Danish international calmly slotted home.

Milan will face the winner of Thursday's tie between Lecce and Udinese.

In the earlier matches on Wednesday, Martins scored three second half goals as Inter beat Bologna 3-1 to seal a 6-2 win on aggregate.

Jonatan Binotto put Bologna ahead at the start of the second half. Martins, however, equalized 10 minutes later when he fired home a rebound from a Alvaro Recoba shot that had hit the post.

The 20-year-old sealed victory when he ran on to a Dejan Stankovic pass and tucked the ball past the keeper in the 82nd minute before he completed his hat-trick three minutes later when he jinked past his marker and fired into the net.

Inter will face the winner of Thursday's tie between Atalanta and Juventus in the quarter-finals. Atalanta hold a 2-0 lead afterthe first leg.

Fiorentina brushed aside Parma 3-0 with goals from Enrico Fantini, Enzo Maresca and Christian Maggio to complete a 5-0 aggregate win. The six times winners meet the winner of Thursday'stie between Siena and AS Roma.

The last remaining non-Serie A side in the draw, Torino, failedto move further. Its 2-1 win over Sampdoria was not enough to reverse a 2-0 defeat in the first leg.

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