Lazio continued their defence of their Coppa Italia title with a deserved victory over Palermo. Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Floccari both found the net during the second half to send them through to the quarter-finals.
Davide Ballardini started with Mauro Zarate up front alongside Floccari, while former Aquile coach Delio Rossi made just two changes from the side that beat Atalanta at the weekend.
Both sides were looking to establish an early advantage, and Lazio won a free kick in a good position in the seventh minute. However, Kolarov's 20-yard effort was deflected and it was easily gathered by Salvatore Sirigu. Minutes later, Stefano Mauri broke free down the left hand side but his shot was wayward.
The hosts were not having it entirely their own way, with Javier Pastore lively in attack for the Rosanero, but neither Fernando Muslera nor Sirigu had much to test them in the opening 20 minutes.
Simon Kjaer made a rare error on the edge of his own penalty area in the 25th minute to allow Mauri a chance to shoot, but Cesare Bovo covered well to make an excellent block.
Less than a minute later, the Rosanero had their first real chance. Federico Balzaretti cushioned the ball across the penalty area for Fabrizio Miccoli, who was in all kinds of space, and Muslera had to turn the ball behind at his near post. Seconds later, Lazio could have taken the lead themselves when Floccari raced through on goal but fired his shot too close to Sirigu, who saved well.
The game was starting to liven up, and Muslera was forced into a superb save as he flew to his right to deny Pastore. Meanwhile at the other end, Kolarov was raining shots down on Sirigu's goal and sent a long-range drive just over the bar in the 33rd minute.
Mauro Zarate tested Sirigu with another free kick from the edge of the box as the hosts took the initiative in the final 10 minutes of the half, while Floccari was an ever-present threat, but the first 45 minutes ended goalless.
In the 53rd minute, Miccoli struck a vicious free kick just over the bar from 20 yards as the Rosanero began to venture forward, and the former Benfica man looked to test Muslera from range minutes later but sliced his shot wide.
Five minutes later, the hosts opened the scoring. Zarate's shot was blocked by Fabio Liverani, but the rebound fell kindly for Kolarov to lash home into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
It could have been 2-0 a few minutes later after some superb work from Mauro Zarate, who held off Bovo before cutting inside Kjaer, but the shot was parried away by Sirigu. Lazio's tails were up, and the Rosanero looked shaken.
Miccoli almost found a way through the Biancocelesti rearguard just after the hour mark after combining well with Pastore, but a superb challenge from Guglielmo Stendardo cut out the danger. Moments later, Miccoli received the ball in the area and flicked it round Muslera, but Stefan Radu cleared the shot off the line.
The hosts were not without their chances, and only a last-ditch block by Kjaer stopped Zarate from getting a shot away in the 67th minute when the hosts had four men bearing down on goal.
With 15 minutes to go, Delio Rossi looked to change the course of the game by taking off the ineffective Edinson Cavani for Abel Hernandez. However, the hosts had doubled the lead before the young Uruguayan had touched the ball. Zarate set Floccari through, who beat his man before driving into the area and drilling the ball past Kjaer's despairing lunge and Sirigu's outstretched hands into the net.
Palermo needed to score quickly if they were to remain in the game but continued to give away possession cheaply on the edge of the Lazio penalty area. Cristian Brocchi could even have put the icing on the cake for Ballardini's side but his curling shot was expertly tipped away by Sirigu.
The visitors were unable to muster anything resembling a comeback, and Lazio will now face Fiorentina in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia as they continue to defend their crown.