Milan // AC Milan became the first team into the Italian Cup semi-finals after holding on for a 2-1 win over Carpi at the San Siro on Wednesday.
The seven-time European champions, who have fallen on hard times in recent seasons, took a two-goal half-time lead through Carlos Bacca and M’baye Niang but Matteo Mancosu’s strike early in the second period kept things interesting until the final whistle.
In truth, Milan should have won by more but with just one goal in it remained vulnerable.
Milan were well on top in the first period, taking the lead on 14 minutes when Bacca finished from Japanese playmaker Keisuke Honda’s pass to notch his 10th goal of the season.
Slovak Juraj Kucka should have doubled the advantage five minutes later but Serbian goalkeeper Zejlko Brkic, who had earlier parried a Honda free-kick, made a wonder save to deny him.
Bacca turned provider just before the half-hour mark as he teed up M’baye Niang to fire home the second.
The hosts appeared to be in cruise control but five minutes into the second period, Kevin Lasagna played Mancosu in one-on-one with goalkeeper Christian Abbiati and the forward finished with aplomb.
Kucka could have extended Milan’s advantage but again he came up short, firing off target just past the hour mark.
Milan kept wasting chances to kill the game as Giacomo Bonaventura blazed wastefully off target late on while Honda’s shot was deflected behind for a corner with Brkic AWOL.
But the rossoneri held on to reach the last four.
The three other quarter-finals take place next week with Napoli hosting Inter Milan and Juventus travelling to Lazio while there will be one lower league outfit in the semi-finals as second division Spezia host third tier Alessandria.
Sinisa Mihajlovic sees no end to speculation over Milan job
AC Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic expects speculation over his future to continue for the rest of the season, he said after his side reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals to ease the pressure on him.
“It’s the third match in a row that my job has been on the line and it will be like that until the end of the season,” the Serb told reporters after Wednesday’s 2-1 win over fellow Serie A side Carpi.
“It’s not easy but I’ve overcome worse things in life. I’m just unhappy for the lads that there is this criticism and this jeering, because they don’t deserve it.”
Wednesday’s win following a 1-1 Serie A draw away at AS Roma on Saturday, a result which ultimately cost Roma coach Rudi Garcia his job, and the two matches combined appear to have guaranteed Mihajlovic’s future at least in the short term.
“I am trying to work hard and while I am in charge of Milan, I will continue with my head held high. The team are united and everything else that is said is just chit-chat,” he said.
Seven-times champions AC Milan appear to have lost their way over the last few seasons, firing three coaches in the last two years and failing to qualify for European football twice in a row.
Colombia forward Carlos Bacca scored Milan’s opening goal on Wednesday with a ‘rabona’ (with the kicking leg wrapped around the planted foot), despite having angered Mihajlovic earlier in the season when he tried the same trick and missed the target.
“Bacca scored with a rabona tonight and he got it spot on. It’s a risky move but one that he has in his blood. When he pulls it off and scores, that’s great,” Mihajlovic added.
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport
