The quarter-finals of the this season’s Primavera which pitted the third and fourth best sides from each group as well as the next two highest finishers (points totals) against each other threw up some interesting results.
Napoli had fought tooth and nail throughout the season for the double but instead found themselves humbled on both accounts and did so again in the play-offs when they came up against Chievo.
The Flying Donkeys raced into a 4-0 lead due to a Juri Cisotti brace, a Victor Da Silva strike and a goal from Federico Maccarone and although the Vesuviani did fight back with two late goals, it was not enough to prevent the hosts marching on.
Group C again took on Group B in another of the games when Roma, who finished three points behind Napoli, met Inter and it served up an exciting clash in which the Nerazzurri emerged triumphant from.
Two goals in the space of one first half minute from Gianmarco Gabbianelli and Matteo Colombi proved crucial in sinking the Giallorossi.
Palermo gained some measure of their vanquished fellow league sides when they met Cesena, also of Group B.
This time they got the win in a thriller as the Rosanero won 3-2 after extra time and even the loss of their goalkeeper for the final eight minutes could not prevent them reaching the last four as Jevrem Kosnic grabbed the winner with time running out.
The final game was Torino advance from an all-Group A clash after beating Genoa 3-2 in another exciting clash.
Hot prospect Abou Diop scored two penalties for the Granata en route to the win that saw them reach the final four.
