Serie A leaders Atalanta continued their impressive form this season with a commanding 6-1 victory over second-division Cesena in the Italian Cup, securing their spot in the quarterfinals against Bologna.
Charles De Ketelaere and Lazar Samardzic each scored twice, contributing to Atalanta’s decisive win. The team, fresh off a club-record 10th consecutive league victory, showed no signs of slowing down, even against lower-league opposition. Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini fielded a strong starting lineup, and the team quickly took control, racing to a 2-0 lead within the first 10 minutes. By halftime, they had extended their advantage to 4-0, thanks to goals from Davide Zappacosta, De Ketelaere, and Samardzic. Marco Brescianini added a fifth early in the second half, and although Atalanta eased off, Samardzic completed his brace in the 71st minute. Cesena managed a consolation goal in the final minute through substitute Joseph Ceesay.
In another match, Roma secured a 4-1 victory over Sampdoria, avoiding a potential upset against one of coach Claudio Ranieri’s former clubs. Roma had previously suffered a 2-0 league loss to Como, one of the teams Sampdoria had eliminated in the cup. However, Roma quickly took control of the match, with Artem Dovbyk scoring twice and Tommaso Baldanzi adding a stunning solo goal to put Roma ahead 3-0 within the first 25 minutes. Sampdoria’s Gerard Yepes pulled one back in the 61st minute, but substitute Eldor Shomurodov restored Roma’s three-goal lead shortly after coming on for Dovbyk.
The quarterfinal matches are set to take place in February.
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