MILAN: Lazio reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals with a 4-3 shootout win over Inter Milan who had forced a 1-1 draw with a penalty from the last kick of extra-time on Thursday.

Ciro Immobile put Lazio ahead in the second period of extra time but Mauro Icardi levelled from the spot in the 125th minute of an extraordinary match featuring missed chances, outstanding goalkeeping, a red card and two key VAR decisions.

Icardi’s goal was in vain, however, as Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha saved two penalties, from substitutes Lautaro Martinez and Radja Nainggolan, to give his side the win in the shootout and a semi-final against AC Milan. Atalanta face Fiorentina in the other two-legged semi-final.

It is the third successive year Lazio have reached the semi-finals. They lost to Milan on penalties last season, while they beat AS Roma in 2017 but lost the final to Juventus.

“If there was a team that should’ve won, it was Lazio,” Immobile said. “We deserved it, then there was that penalty incident which forced us to postpone our celebrations. ... Now we hope to get our revenge on Milan.”

The victory replicates Lazio’s 2-1 victory over Inter Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals exactly two years ago.

“We were a little awkward at the start but as the game came alive we were in the game until the end. Then we got a bit frantic which doesn’t work against Lazio,” said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti.

Inter should have gone ahead midway through the second half when Strakosha parried Joao Mario’s shot but Antonio Candreva fired over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Inter goalkeeper Samir Hand­anovic made outstanding saves in quick succession from Felipe Caicedo and Immobile at the end of the 90 minutes, then Martinez squandered another Inter chance by firing over from six metres.

Immobile put Lazio in front after exchanging passes with Caicedo, then Inter had Kwadwo Asamoah shown a direct red card for a high challenge but it was changed to yellow after the referee consulted the VAR official.

Deep into stoppage time, Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic clattered into Danilo DAm­brosio. The referee awarded Inter a free kick but changed the decision to a penalty after the VAR ruled it had happened just inside the area.

Lazio’s Stefan Radu was given a straight red card for dissent and Icardi fired the penalty past Strakosha as Inter avoided a third successive game without scoring.

Icardi also netted another penalty in the shootout, as did Marcelo Brozovic and debutant Cedric Soares for Inter. Handanovic saved from Riza Durmisi but Immobile, Marco Parolo and Francesco Acerbi were successful from the spot and Lucas Leiva converted the decisive penalty.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2019