In an absorbing tie in Bergamo, Berat Djimsiti flicked in after Pepe Reina saved a drive from Jose Palomino to put home side Atalanta ahead in the seventh minute of Wednesday's quarter-final tie.

Vedat Muriqi levelled for Lazio with a header 10 minutes later before the goal's provider Francesco Acerbi stormed in the box to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.

Ruslan Malinovskyi levelled for Atalanta and in the second half Aleksej Miranchuk made it 3-2 after Palomino's straight red card in the 53rd minute for flooring the goal-bound Manuel Lazzari.

The hosts missed the chance of a fourth goal in the 67th minute as substitute Duvan Zapata saw his penalty saved by Pepe Reina after being fouled, but they held out against Lazio's furious pressing in the closing minutes.

Juventus had no telling issues against second-division SPAL despite fielding various Under-23 players while veteran star Gianluigi Buffon kept goal a day before turning 43 in a 4-0 win.

Big gun Alvaro Morata converted a penalty and youth-team full back Gianluca Frabotta had a fierce shot slightly deflected in goal before the break, with Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa then on target to seal the Bianconeri's victory.

Australian Associated Press