Napoli dramatically advanced to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals via a tense penalty shootout, while Inter Milan and Atalanta secured their spots with dominant victories on Wednesday.
The reigning Italian champions, also six-time cup winners, defeated fellow first-division club Cagliari 9-8 in penalties. This followed a 1-1 draw during regulation play.
The decisive moment arrived in the 10th round of the shootout. Cagliari’s Zito Luvumbo saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Alessandro Buongiorno then converted to secure Napoli’s progression.
In contrast, nine-time Coppa Italia champion Inter Milan easily overcame second-division Venezia. They secured their quarterfinal berth with a commanding 5-1 victory.
Atalanta, another top-tier club, also demonstrated strong form at home. They defeated Genoa 4-0 to claim their spot in the next stage of the tournament.
These three clubs now join Juventus, who hold a record 15 Coppa Italia titles, in the quarterfinals. Juventus had previously triumphed 2-0 against Udinese.
For Napoli’s match, Lorenzo Lucca scored in the 28th minute. Sebastiano Esposito equalized for Cagliari in the 67th.
Inter’s goals came from Andy Diouf, Marcus Thuram (twice), Ange-Yoan Bonny, and Francesco Esposito. Richie Sagrado scored Venezia’s lone goal.
Atalanta’s scorers included Berat Djimsiti, Marten de Roon, Mario Pasalic, and Honest Ahanor. Genoa also saw Seydou Fini receive a red card during the match.
Napoli is set to face either Fiorentina or Como in the quarterfinals, with that match scheduled for January 2026. Inter awaits the winner of the Roma versus Torino fixture.
Atalanta will play Juventus in the quarterfinals. The Round of 16 for the 79th edition of the Coppa Italia continues with two more matches on Thursday. AC Milan will visit Lazio, and Parma will travel to Bologna.
Napoli also navigates a demanding schedule, having competed against Benfica in the Champions League on December 10. They previously defeated Sporting 2-1 in the same competition in October.