Fiorentina beats Napoli 5-2 to reach Italian Cup quarters

By: Daniella Matar, The Associated Press Posted: 2:47 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022 Last Modified: 4:55 PM CST Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022

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MILAN (AP) — Fiorentina reached the Italian Cup quarterfinals by beating Napoli 5-2 after extra time on Thursday in a match that included three red cards and a stoppage-time equalizer.

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MILAN (AP) — Fiorentina reached the Italian Cup quarterfinals by beating Napoli 5-2 after extra time on Thursday in a match that included three red cards and a stoppage-time equalizer.

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MILAN (AP) — Fiorentina reached the Italian Cup quarterfinals by beating Napoli 5-2 after extra time on Thursday in a match that included three red cards and a stoppage-time equalizer.

Vincenzo Italiano’s side will next face Atalanta, which beat Venezia 2-0 on Wednesday.

AC Milan also needed extra time before beating Genoa 3-1 to set up a quarterfinal against either Lazio or Udinese.

Fiorentina's Lorenzo Venuti, second right, scores during the Italian Cup, round of 16 soccer match between Napoli and Fiorentina, at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

The match in Naples burst into life shortly before halftime when Dušan Vlahović broke the deadlock but Dries Mertens curled in an equalizer for Napoli moments later. The match appeared to have swung in the home side’s favor when Fiorentina goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski fouled Eljif Elmas outside his area and was sent off for a straight red card.

But 10-man Fiorentina restored its lead in the 57th minute when Cristiano Biraghi’s free kick went into the wall and back to him for a curled effort that went in off the inside of the post.

Napoli forward Hirving Lozano was then shown a straight red card six minutes from time for a foul on Nicolás González and midfielder Fabián Ruiz was also sent off in stoppage-time following a second yellow card, leaving the home side with nine men.

But moments later, Andrea Petagna swept home a cross to force extra time.

However, Lorenzo Venuti scored and set up another for debutant Krzysztof Piątek in extra time. Napoli then capitulated and conceded a fifth to Youssef Maleh at the end.

FLUKE GOAL

Milan may have cost one of its former star players his job.

Genoa coach Andriy Shevchenko, who spent eight years at Milan across two spells, was already under pressure at Genoa ahead of the trip to San Siro having won just one of his 10 games since taking charge in November.

Napoli's Andrea Petagna, right celebrates scoring during the Italian Cup, round of 16 soccer match between Napoli and Fiorentina, at the Diego Armando Maradona stadium in Naples, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

His side took a surprise lead when Leo Østigård headed in a corner in the 17th minute. And Genoa had chances to double its lead before Olivier Giroud sent a powerful header into the top left corner following a cross from Theo Hernández 16 minutes from time

Milan took the lead in somewhat bizarre fashion in the 102nd minute as Rafael Leão completely miskicked a ball and it flew into the far top corner, when he had intended it to be a cross. The young forward shrugged his shoulders and grinned in embarrassment.

Hernández set up Alexis Saelemaekers to all but seal the match 10 minutes later.

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