And now Perisic is presented with a good opportunity to score! Brozovic, who has been one of Inter's busiest players tonight, charges forward before sending a through-ball into the Cagliari penalty area, but it's slightly too heavy and fails to find the Croatian before being cut out by Cragno.
90' +1
Wonderful save by Cragno! A dangerous cross is flung into the heart of the Cagliari penalty area, where it finds Nagatomo, and the Japan international immediately unleashes a thumping volley. It looks set for the back of the net but somehow the Italian goalkeeper is able to stop it from doing so with an excellent one-handed diving stop.
90'
The fourth official has indicated that there will be three minutes of added time.
89'
What a chance for Farias to pull one back! Cagliari fly forward on a great counter-attack, with Cerri doing well to get forward before teeing up the aforementioned Brazilian with a wonderfully-weighted through-ball. He then flies towards the edge of the Inter penalty area before looking to shoot, but Carrizo rushes out and dispossesses him with a wonderful sliding tackle.
88'
Pisacane seems to be really struggling after going down off the ball, and he gingerly makes his way off the pitch to receive further medical treatment. It looks uncertain whether or not he'll be able to continue.
87'
Dodo breaks into the Cagliari box on a great run before looking to unleash a cross, but just as he's about to do so Benedetti charges across as deals with the danger with a thumping clearance of play.
85'
S. Colombatto gets yellow.
Dodô enters the game and replaces J. Biabiany.
Dodo comes on to replace Biabiany in Inter's final substitution of the evening.
Kondogbia charges through the middle of the pitch before being clattered into by Colombatto, leaving the referee with no choice but to show him a yellow card for his hefty challenge on the Frenchman.
83'
Manaj penetrates the left-hand side of the Cagliari penalty area on a determined run before trying to cut the ball over to Brozovic, but it's slightly overhit and misses the Croatian before rolling out to the right flank.
81'
I. Perišić has scored a goal for Inter Milan!
GOAL! It's 3-0! Montoya cuts inside from the right flank before teeing up Manaj, who immediately unleashes a curling strike from the edge of the penalty area. It beats Cragno only to hit the post, but Perisic is there to fire the rebound into the back of the net to wrap up yet another comfortable win for Inter.
80'
Melchiorri is presented with an early opportunity to impress after finding himself in space 25 yards away from goal, but his low strike is poorly hit and ends up rolling into the safe hands of Carrizo.
Minute
Description
78'
A. Gnoukouri enters the game and replaces G. Medel.
F. Melchiorri enters the game and replaces N. Giannetti.
Medel makes his way off the pitch to be replaced by Gnoukouri for the final 12 minutes of the game.
Meanwhile, Melchiorri has come to take the place of Giannetti.
77'
It now looks as if Inter have fully wrapped up the victory, as they are looking incredibly comfortable on the ball. Cagliari have failed to create any clear cut chnces since the start of the half and are now really struggling to get forward.
75'
Perisic is fouled in a dangerous position 30 yards away from the Cagliari goal, presenting Brozovic with another opportunity to beat Cragno from distance. However, this time the Croatian's long-range strike is poorly hit and fails to beat the wall of white shirts in front of him.
73'
Diego Farias enters the game and replaces D. Di Gennaro.
I. Perišić enters the game and replaces R. Palacio.
Palacio receives a standing ovation from the Inter fans as he makes his way off to be replaced by Perisic.
Meanwhile, Cagliari have made their second alteration, with Di Gennaro making way for Farias.
71'
M. Brozović has scored a goal for Inter Milan!
GOAL! What a strike by Brozovic! The Croatian is left in far too much space by the Cagliari defence, allowing him to calmly saunter towards the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a wonderful curling strike that comfortably flies past Cragno before nestling into the top right-hand corner of the net.
70'
Montoya does well to get down the right flank before curling a dangerous looping cross over to the far post. It seems to spend an age in the air before looking as if it's going to land right on the head of Palacio, but Pisacane is there to cut out the danger at the vital moment.
68'
Pisacane embarks on a great run down the right wing before unleashing an even better through-ball that wonderfully picks out Cerri, but the striker's run is slightly mistimed and, as a result, the linesman's flag is raised for offside just as he's about to shoot.
66'
Brozovic picks up the ball in a dangerous position midway inside the Cagliari half of the pitch and immediately breaks forward quickly before trying to pick out Palacio, but his attempted through-ball is completely mishit and ends up rolling straight into the hands of Cragno.
64'
Terrible mistake by Di Gennaro! The midfielder nonchalantly taps an awful back-pass into the path of Palacio, who immediately tees up Manaj. The Albanian only has Cragno to beat but his first touch is far too heavy, allowing the goalkeeper to smother the danger at the vital moment.
62'
The game is starting to look far more open as the game progresses. Cagliari, who look far more confident since hitting the post, are progressively pushing further up the pitch, which is leaving far more space behind for Inter to try and take advantage of.
60'
Brozovic is brought down 25 yards away from the Cagliari goal, resulting in a free kick for Inter in a very dangerous position. He steps up and curls a dangerous cross into the box, but Kondogbia's run is slightly too early and, as a result, the linesman's flag is raised for offside.
58'
Cagliari patiently work their way down the left wing before earning themselves their first corner of the second half. It's flung towards the near post but is poorly hit, allowing Manaj to comfortably deal with the danger as a result.
56'
Montoya charges down the right flank before whipping a dangerous cross towards the near post. It narrowly misses the outstretched leg of Manaj before being deflected back into the path of Medel, but the Chilean midfielder ends up firing his 25-yard strike well over the top of the crossbar.
55'
Great chance for Medel! Brozovic twists and turns on the left-hand side of the Cagliari penalty area before chipping a lovely cross over to the back post. It meets the Chilean, who is now sporting a large bandage after his coming together with Deiola, but his bullet header ends up flying just inches wide of the goal.
53'
The ball bounces around the Cagliari penalty after Medel does well to get forward. The Chilean then nods it over to Palacio, who tries to pull off a volley near the penalty spot, but Benedetti is just about able to get a foot on it to stop it from finding the Argentine.
51'
Pisacane hits the post! The Cagliari defender flies forward on a great run down the right flank and tries to cut inside before being tripped over by Manaj, resulting in a free kick in a very dangerous position. It's flung by Di Gennaro into the middle of the box, where it finds the aforementioned full-back, who rises high and meets the ball well before seeing his effort ricochet off the woodwork.
50'
S. Colombatto enters the game and replaces A. Tello.
Cagliari have decided to make their first change of the game, with Colombatto coming on to replace Tello.
49'
A. Deiola gets yellow.
Deiola becomes the latest player to receive a yellow card after one of his flailing arms smashes Medel in the face. The Chilean doesn't look particularly pleased with that coming together...
48'
Early chance for Brozovic! The Croatian embarks on a marauding run forward before teeing up Palacio on the edge of the penalty area. The striker quickly spins before sending the ball back to his teammate, but his low strike from the edge of the penalty area takes a deflection that sends it into the hands of Cragno.
46'
And we're underway once again!
45'
Inter try to push forward on one last attacking move before half-time, but there isn't time to do so and the referee brings an end to the opening period right on the 45th minute.
44'
And now Palacio almost makes it 2-0! Kondogbia flies forward on a marauding run into the Cagliari half of the pitch before teeing up the aforementioned striker, who then forces Cragno into making a good save, but just as the goalkeeper does so the linesman's flag is raised for offside.
42'
Cerri goes close! Deiola flies down the left wing on a great run before sending a bouncing cross into the heart of the Inter penalty area. Giannetti's attempted half-volley is poor and he ends up completely missing the ball, but the aforementioned striker is there to meet it. However, he ends up firing his first-time shot just a yard or two over the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick.
40'
Inter have taken their foot off the pedal slightly over the past few minutes, but they still look dangerous whenever pushing forward. Nagatomo does well to get down the left wing after a Cagliari attack comes to an end, and he then whips a dangerous cross into the middle of the box. It looks set to find Palacio but Benedetti is there to meet it instead.
38'
G. Medel gets yellow.
Medel and Pedro battle for the ball just inside the Inter half of the pitch before the latter is clattered to the floor by a high boot from the former, leaving the referee with no choice but to show the Chilean a yellow card.
36'
Fantastic opportunity for Montoya to make it 2-0! Brozovic finds himself in a pocket of space 25 yards away from the Cagliari goal, and he immediately chips a beautiful lofted pass over to the Spaniard. It meets him at the far post and he unleashes a looping volley that flies over the head of Cragno, but it's slightly mishit and sails the wrong side of the goal before it's able to meet the outstretched boot of Palacio.
34'
Cerri flies down the left flank on a great run before heading to the edge of the Inter penalty area, but just as he's about to unleash a cross he's dispossessed by Jesus, and he then takes out his frustration on Montoya, who he brings crashing to the ground with a reckless sliding challenge.
32'
What a chance for Giannetti! A beautiful through-ball from Tello pierces the Inter defence in two before finding the striker inside the hosts' penalty area, but his low strike is saved well by Carrizo, who dives down quickly and gets a strong hand on the shot to parry it away.
30'
Again, Montoya causes problems for Cagliari down the right flank, resulting in a free kick for Inter. However, this time they decide to take it short and are immediately put under pressure by a sea of white shirts, forcing D'Ambrosio into working the ball back to Carrizo.
28'
Manaj does well to penetrate the left-hand side of the Cagliari penalty area, where he battles with Tello before earning the hosts a corner. It's whipped into a dangerous position in the middle of the penalty area, and after a few nervous seconds it's finally thumped away by Benedetti before it can find Palacio, who was waiting patiently in front of goal.
26'
An Inter attacking move breaks down, allowing Cagliari to break away on a quick counter-attack. They initially get forward well before Di Gennaro sends a searching pass towards Cerri, but Jesus is there to cut out the danger with a strong tackle.
24'
R. Palacio has scored a goal for Inter Milan!
GOAL! Inter have taken the lead! The hosts come back again quickly and work the ball over to Kondogbia on the left flank. The Frenchman then whips a great cross to Manaj at the near post, but the Albanian scuffs his attempted volley. However, Palacio is there to just behind him, and the striker peels off his marker before beating Cragno with ease to make it 1-0.
23'
Montoya is on the receiving end of a poor challenge, this time from Deiola, resulting in a free kick for Inter in a dangerous position 30 yards away from goal. Brozovic curls it into the heart of the Cagliari penalty area but it fails to find a black and blue shirt before being headed away from danger.
21'
Cagliari are finally able to break out of their own half of the pitch, where they string together a good series of passes. The ball eventually finds Pedro on the left wing, but he ends up crashing into Montoya as he tries to beat the Spaniard and, as a result, Inter are awarded a free kick.
19'
Wonderful opportunity for Palacio! Once again, Biabiany is left in far too much space down the right flank before curling a beautiful ball into the box. It finds the head of the aforementioned striker, who rises high and meets it well before sending his effort flying just wide of the near post.
17'
It's all Inter at the moment as they keep Cagliari pegged deep inside their own half of the pitch. The visitors are finding it increasingly difficult to get near the ball due to the pressure being exerted on them by the hosts, who are looking incredibly strong and determined.
15'
M. Brozović gets yellow.
Pisacane tries to break away on a quick counter-attack down the right wing after doing well to deal with a determined Inter attacking move, but his run is brought to a painful end by Brozovic, who scythes the Cagliari player to the ground and receives a yellow card as a result.
13'
Great chance for Biabiany! Brozovic picks up the ball just outside of the Cagliari penalty area and immediately threads a lovely ball into the path of the Frenchman. He meets it well and immediately fires a low strike towards the bottom left-hand corner of the net, but Cragno is there to stop it from putting Inter ahead with a wonderful diving save.
11'
Inter work the ball around well deep inside the visitors' half of the pitch before Kondogbia decides to unleash a low shot from 25 yards out, but it's sent straight at Cragno, who is easily able to stop the strike as a result.
9'
Chance for Cagliari! The visitors push forward on their first real attack of the game and win themselves a free kick in a dangerous position on the left flank. It's flung into the middle of the box, where it pinballs around before taking a deflection that sends it over the crossbar.
7'
Biabiany darts down the right flank before curling a great cross into the heart of the Cagliari penalty area. It finds Manaj, but the Albanian is unable to test Cragno with his headed effort. That was good play by the Inter!
5'
Inter continue to boss possession inside the Cagliari half of the pitch. Manaj and Palacio have formed a good early partnership and are looking particularly bright in and around the visitors' penalty area, which has seen a lot of action so far.
3'
It's been a strong start by Inter who, as expected, immediately got on the front as they look to put Cagliari under plenty of early pressure.
1'
And we're off!
Good evening and welcome to our live text commentary of today’s Coppa Italia fifth round game between Inter and Cagliari at the San Siro.
After suffering a frustrating defeat against Napoli two weeks ago, Inter quickly returned to winning ways in Serie A and now sit four points clear at the top of the table thanks to back-to-back victories against Genoa and Udinese, the latter of whom they thrashed 4-0 on Saturday afternoon. The aforementioned defeat was one of only two that the Nerazzurri have suffered thus far this season, as they have looked excellent both domestically and in the Coppa Italia, where they will be looking to continue their good run against their Serie B opponents today.
As a result of their good form and superior team sheet, Inter are understandably the favourites to come away with a win tonight, but Cagliari shouldn’t be written off entirely. The Serie B side are unbeaten in their last four games, suffering just one defeat in 14, whilst the fourth round of the cup saw them knock out in-form top-tier team Sassuolo away from home. The Rossoblu also have recent history on their side, as the last time they travelled to the San Siro they left with a thumping 4-1 win under their belts. Meanwhile, the hosts are set to hand starts to several fringe players, further increasing the visitors’ chances of pulling off an upset.
Cagliari XI (4-3-3): Cragno; Pisacane, Benedetti, Krajnc, Murru; Deiola, Di Gennaro, Tello; Pedro, Giannetti, Cerri.
Meanwhile, Cagliari boss Massimo Rastelli has made 10 alterations to the side that featured in Saturday’s draw away to Livorno, with only Joao Pedro retaining his place in the squad.
Roberto Mancini has decided to make eight changes to the Inter side that started last weekend’s 4-0 thumping of Udinese, with Juan Pablo Carrizo, Juan Jesus, Danilo D’Ambrosio, Jonathan Biabiany, Marcelo Brozovic, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yuto Nagatomo, Rey Manaj and Rodrigo Palacio all featuring in a heavily-altered lineup.
The two sides are making their way out onto the pitch, with just a few minutes to go until kick-off.
HALF-TIME: INTER 1-0 CAGLIARI
It's been a relatively comfortable opening 45 minutes for Inter, who have looked the better of the two sides and head into the half-time break with a well-deserved one-goal lead as a result. Palacio and Biabiany have looked dangerous when pushing forward, whilst Montoya has found an increasing amount of joy down the right wing. However, Cagliari have enjoyed their fair share of good moments, too, and as a result they will be confident about their chances of pulling off a second-half comeback.
The two teams are making their way back out onto the pitch ahead of the start of the second half. Neither side have made any substitutions during the half-time break.
FULL-TIME: INTER 3-0 CAGLIARI
Inter progress to the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia after picking up yet another impressive win. Bar a few nervy moments it was a largely comfortable evening for the hosts, who were excellent at both ends of the pitch and never looked like they were going to lose. As the game wore on Cagliari found it increasingly difficult to push forward, meaning that the Serie A leaders were easily able to hold onto possession and constantly trouble the visitors' under-pressure back line.
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