Southampton 2 Sheff Wed 0: Zemmama sparkles as Boro cruise into last 16

The £6m summer acquisition from Burnley impressed in front of the 9,890 spectators at St Mary’s as the hosts reached the last 16 for the second successive season.

After earlier being denied in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Stephen Bywater, Rodriguez broke the deadlock in the 30th minute by turning brilliantly in the box before rifling home.

Guly do Prado hit the post as Nigel Adkins’s side pushed for a second that came 12 minutes from time after referee Mark Halsey adjudged substitute Joe Mattock to have fouled Steve de Ridder in the box.

Bywater got to Rodriguez’s penalty but it trickled home as Southampton comfortably made it two wins in four days.

Coming into the match both sides made it abundantly clear where their priorities lay, with the Owls making seven changes to their starting line-up and the hosts nine.

Saints started brightly and De Ridder saw a through-ball to Rodriguez snuffed out by Bywater inside the opening minute.

Do Prado fired a half-volley wide shortly afterwards, before the South Yorkshire outfit began to threaten.

Former Southampton loanee Michail Antonio was looking particularly dangerous for the Owls, who saw Mark Beevers nod wide in the 10th minute.

Rodriguez was denied one-on-one by Bywater as play began to swing from end to end, with defensive confusion almost seeing Antonio net at the other end shortly afterwards.

The winger again went close as he beat Gazzaniga to a ball only to chip onto the roof of the net.

Southampton’s continued pressure translated into the opening goal on the half-hour mark when Rodriguez collected a ball from Chaplow, before turning and lashing home.

Mattock replaced Kieran Lee as the visitors began the second period well, with Nejc Pecnik coming close with an audacious effort six minutes in.

The result was confirmed when the Saints were awarded a 78th-minute penalty after De Ridder was brought down by Mattock.

Southampton: Gazzaniga, Richardson, Yoshida, Hooiveld, Seaborne, Chaplow, Ward-Prowse, Cork (Robinson 81), Do Prado (Reeves 71), De Ridder, Rodriguez (Hoskins 85). Unused substitutes: K Davis, Butterfield, Gape, Sinclair.

Sheffield Wednesday: Bywater, Lee (Mattock 46), Llera, Beevers, Jones, Pecnik, Semedo, Corry (J Johnson 66), Antonio, Madine, Maguire (O’Grady 66). Unused substitutes: Jameson, Mayor, Rodri, Lavery.

Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).