Pro Sports

Torino beats Roma 2-1 to reach Italian Cup quarterfinals

Posted December 20, 2017 6:00 am

By ANDREW DAMPF

Torino's Simoine Edera, left, vies for the ball with Roma's Emerson Palmieri during an Italian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Roma and Torino, at Rome's Olympic stadium, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP) The Associated Press

ROME (AP) - Goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved a penalty from substitute Edin Dzeko to help Torino beat Roma 2-1 Wednesday to reach the Italian Cup quarterfinals.

Torino will next face either city rival and three-time defending champion Juventus or Genoa, which were playing later.

Roma left many usual starters on the bench ahead of a visit to Juventus in Serie A on Saturday.

Lorenzo De Silvestri and Simone Edera had scored to put Torino up 2-0 when Milinkovic-Savic leaped to his right to push Dzeko's spot kick wide in the 77th minute.

The younger brother of Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made a total of 10 saves during a match in which Roma dominated possession.

Roma striker Stephan El Shaarawy hit the crossbar with a long shot just after the half-hour mark and De Silvestri's opener came eight minutes later with a rebound following a header from Andrea Belotti.

El Shaarawy had a great chance to equalize early in the second half but was stopped from close-range with a reflex save from Milinkovic-Savic.

Edera then scored with a bouncing header from inside the box.

Roma striker Patrik Schick pulled one back five minutes from time with a quick control and low shot from inside the area. It was the Czech international's first goal for Roma since joining on loan from Sampdoria in August.

Schick also hit the post with a header and earned Roma's penalty.

Torino, which also beat Trapani and Carpi, has scored a joint-record 11 goals in Cup play this season.

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OVER-ACHIEVING ATALANTA

Building on its club-record fourth-place finish in Serie A last season, Atalanta beat visiting Sassuolo 2-1 to set up a quarterfinal with Napoli.

Denmark forward Andreas Cornelius beat the offside trap for Atalanta's opener. Then Brazilian defender Rafael Toloi doubled the lead with a header before the break.

Atalanta also hit the woodwork twice in the first half.

After the break, Sassuolo pulled one back with an own goal from Toloi on a failed clearance.

Atalanta ended with 10 men when Jasmin Kurtic was shown a straight red card for a reaction foul.

Having qualified for continental competition for the first time in 26 years, Atalanta won its Europa League group ahead of Lyon and Everton without losing a game.

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More AP soccer coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/apf-Soccer

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Andrew Dampf on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asdampf

Torino's Lorenzo De Silvestri, center, celebrates with his teammates after scoring his side's first goal during an Italian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Roma and Torino, at Rome's Olympic stadium, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP) The Associated Press

Torino's M'Baye Niang, left, vies for the ball withRoma's Cengiz Under during an Italian Cup round of 16 soccer match between Roma and Torino, at Rome's Olympic stadium, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Ettore Ferrari/ANSA via AP) The Associated Press

Atalanta's Rafael Tolois celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during an Italian Cup soccer match between Atalanta and Sassuolo at the Atleti Azzurri D'Italia in Bergamo, Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Paolo Magni/ANSA via AP) The Associated Press

Atalanta's Andreas Cornelius celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during an Italian Cup soccer match between Atalanta and Sassuolo at the Atleti Azzurri D'Italia in Bergamo, Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017. (Paolo Magni/ANSA via AP) The Associated Press

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