Spezia beats 9-man Roma 4-2 to reach Italian Cup quarters

Updated Jan. 19, 2021 6:32 p.m. ET
Associated Press

ROME, Italy (AP) — Spezia advanced to the quarterfinals of the Italian Cup with a 4-2 win against nine-man Roma after extra time on Tuesday.

Former Roma winger Daniele Verde and Riccardo Saponara scored in extra time for Spezia, which next plays Napoli.

The match changed two minutes into extra time as Roma defender Gianluca Mancini and goalkeeper Pau López were sent off within 30 seconds of each other, in separate incidents.

Mancini was dismissed following a second yellow card while López received a straight red for clattering into Spezia forward Roberto Piccoli.

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Spezia had been 2-0 up after 15 minutes, following Andrey Galabinov's penalty and Saponara’s first goal of the night.

However, Roma got back into the match when Lorenzo Pellegrini converted a penalty two minutes before halftime and Henrikh Mkhitaryan leveled in the 73rd.

It was more misery for Roma, just a few days after an embarrassing 3-0 league loss to Lazio in the capital derby.

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