Ciro Immobile scored a first-half brace as Lazio booked the first Coppa Italia quarter-final berth on Saturday with a 4-1 win over third-division Novara in a game which was marred by racist and anti-semitic chants from a small section of the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico.
⚽️???? #video Ciro Immobile making it 2-0 ('20) https://t.co/uH9ZxXJKZ7#Lazio#Novara
— Calcio Goals ????????⚽ (@goals_calcio) January 12, 2019
The chanting came from Lazio's North End and was also aimed at police who had clashed with fans on Wednesday at Piazza della Liberta in the capital when celebrations to mark the club's 119th anniversary turned violent.
Lazio dominated the last-16 tie against the Serie C side from northern Italy with Immobilie setting up Luis Alberto's 12th-minute opener for the Romans.
Novara goalkeeper Elia Benedettini saved Immobile's 20th-minute penalty, but the Lazio forward netted the rebound, adding a second 15 minutes later for his 13th goal in all competitions this season.
Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic blasted in a free-kick to give the hosts a comfortable four-goal lead just before the break.
⚽️???? #video Ciro Immobile making it 3-0 ('35) https://t.co/dADKPaHThR#Lazio#Novara
— Calcio Goals ????????⚽ (@goals_calcio) January 12, 2019
Umberto Eusepi pulled a goal back for Novara when he slotted in a penalty awarded for a Luiz Felipe handball after consultation with VAR just after half-time.
Lazio, who won the last of their six Coppa Italia trophies in 2013, will next play either Inter or Benevento in the quarter-finals.
In Genoa, Milan progressed to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 extra-time win over Samprdoria.
Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta started for Milan after his arrival from Flamengo in a 35-million-euro ($40 million) deal last week, along with want-away Argentine Gonzalo Higuain amid speculation he is about to move to Chelsea.
Higuain thought he had scored but was ruled offside as the game went into extra time just days before Gennaro Gattuso's side take on Juventus in the Italian Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
Patrick Cutrone came on as a substitute in extra time with his two superb volleys on 102 and 108 minutes setting up a meeting for last year's finalists with either Napoli or Sassuolo.
"We're in good shape and will try to prepare as best we can," said Cutrone of next Wednesday's game in Jeddah.
Juventus kicked off their Coppa Italia commitments with a comfortable 2-0 win over Bologna at the Stadio Dall'Ara.