Cerci double sends Viola through
Alessio Cerci fired Fiorentina into the last 16 of the Coppa Italia with a 2-1 victory over Empoli on Thursday night.
The winger opened the scoring in the 29th minute and added another nine minutes later to put the Viola in the driving seat. Substitute Irakli Shekiladze pulled a goal back for Empoli after 65 minutes, but the Serie B could not find an equaliser.
Genoa needed an extra-time goal from Lucas Pratto to see off the challenge of another Serie B side, Bari, 3-2 in a dramatic fourth-round match.
A 38th-minute penalty from Valter Birsa was cancelled out by Bari's Martino Borghese. Genoa then looked to have won the match with a goal from Cristobal Jorquera in the dying seconds of normal time, but a penalty moments later from Nicola Bellomo took the match into extra time.
However, the home side had the final say through Pratto's effort after 115 minutes.
In an all-Serie A encounter, Siena beat Cagliari 2-1 thanks to strikes from Pablo Andres Gonzalez (16) and Angelo (52). Fernando Rui Sampaio replied for Cagliari six minutes from time but they could not add to their tally. [Soccernet.espn.go.com]