Zola knocks holders Lazio out of Italian Cup
(reuters.co.uk)
Updated: 2005-01-14 09:32

Gianfranco Zola scored in extra time to knock holders Lazio out of the Italian Cup on Thursday and put Cagliari into the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.

Lazio won the second leg 3-2 but after losing 2-1 away in the first leg they tumbled out in the third round.

The troubled Rome side looked to be cruising into the last eight with goals either side of halftime from midfielder Antonio Filippini and striker Tommaso Rocchi.

Cagliari looked short on ideas in attack but with nine minutes remaining David Suazo nodded the ball into the path of fellow striker Daniele Conti, who hooked past Lazio keeper Matteo Sereni to take the game into extra time.

In the 102nd minute Lazio's defence allowed former Chelsea striker Zola space to lash into the roof of the net and despite a late strike by Rocchi to make the aggregate score 4-4, Cagliari progressed thanks to their two goals at the Olympic Stadium.

They next face Sampdoria, who eliminated the only remaining non-Serie A side Torino earlier in the week.

In another thrilling third round second leg match on Thursday, Udinese also progressed on the away goals rule after drawing 8-8 with Lecce on aggregate.

Having won the first leg in Lecce 5-4, Udinese extended their advantage with an early goal by striker David Di Michele.

Lecce then stormed back to lead 4-1 with a brace from striker Mirko Vucinic and goals by Sasa Bjelanovic and Cedric Konan.

In the 88th minute striker Vincenzo Iaquinta pulled one back and Antonio Di Natale grabbed the crucial third for Udinese two minutes into added time.

Udinese and Lazio were joined in the last eight by AS Roma, who overturned a 2-1 first leg deficit by thrashing Siena 5-1 to win 6-3 on aggregate.

Early strikes by defender Traianos Dellas and captain Francesco Totti and a Massimo Maccarone penalty for Siena left the contest evenly-balanced at halftime, but goals by Antonio Cassano and Vincenzo Montella in the first four minutes after the restart put the result beyond doubt.

Roma's 20-year-old striker Daniele Corvia added a fifth just after the hour and the late dismissal of defender Bruno Cirillo completed Siena's woes.

In a later match Serie A leaders Juventus try to overturn a 2-0 deficit at home to Atalanta.

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