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Stoke 2 - Southampton 3: Graziano Pelle double helps Saints march into quarter-finals
SOUTHAMPTON reached their first League Cup quarter-final in ten years courtesy of a double from the in-form Graziano Pelle.
Ronaldo Koeman's side have now won nine of their last ten matches, and now have only Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool left to beat.
Man of the moment Pelle gave the visitors the lead with a stunning right foot finish having been given far too much space by the Stoke defence.
Saints doubled their lead on the half-hour mark after Steven Davis cut the ball back for £12m Shane Long to expertly finish past the helpless Begovic.
It looked to be a comfortable evening for Koeman until Steven N'Zonzi smashed a drive from 25 yards low past Fraser Forster to provide the home side with a glimmer of hope.
The equaliser came just eight minutes from time when the troublesome Mame Biram Diouf eventually nodded in from close range after a fourth consecutive corner.
But Stoke were subjected to their second defeat in just five days when Pelle reacted quickest to a free-kick immediately after Peter Crouch had been sent off to see Saints safely through to the last eight.