AC Milan beats Sassuolo 2-1 to reach Cup quarterfinals
MILAN (AP) - Nigel de Jong scored an 86th-minute winner as AC Milan beat Sassuolo 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the Italian Cup quarterfinals and avenge a defeat to the same opponent last week.
Giampaolo Pazzini put Milan ahead after 38 minutes at San Siro with an acrobatic shot following a cross from newly signed Alessio Cerci.
Nicola Sansone equalized with a penalty in the 64th, but De Jong prevented extra time by volleying in the rebound after a shot by Andrea Poli hit the crossbar.
Last week, Sassuolo beat Milan 2-1 in Serie A.
Milan will next face either Torino or Lazio.
The other Round of 16 matchups are: Roma vs. Empoli; Fiorentina vs. Atalanta; Inter Milan vs. Sampdoria; Napoli vs. Udinese; Juventus vs. Hellas Verona; and Parma vs. Cagliari.
AC Milan's Stephan El Shaarawy, center, dribbles past Sassuoloâs Sime Vrsaljko, right, and Sassuoloâs Sergio Floccari during the Italian Cup soccer match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
The Associated Press