AS Roma 2 - 1 Manchester United

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Wednesday Apr 04 2007 07:45

Paul Scholes was sent off as Manchester United lost the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash against AS Roma 2-1 in Italy.

The veteran midfielder was booked in the 26th minute for a needless foul on Christian Wilhelmsson and saw red nine minutes later for a clumsy tackle on Francesco Totti.

Faced with playing for 60 minutes with a man down, United produced a gritty performance and rode their luck on occasions to end the match still very much in the tie after Wayne Rooney grabbed a priceless away goal.

United started the match with plenty of injury concerns with Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre and Nemanja Vidic all absent and the home side took advantage with a slick first-half display.

Roma took full advantage of the extra man and it was no surprise when they opening the scoring on the stroke of half-time.

Totti took a quick corner and squeezed the ball through to Mancini whose cut-back to the penalty spot was forced home by Rodrigo Taddei via a large deflection off Wes Brown which left Edwin Van der Sar wrong-footed.

After the interval, Cristiano Ronaldo rose to the occasion and was the spearhead of United's increasing attacking moves.

And on the hour-mark the fleet-footed winger broke through two tackles before sending Ole Gunnar Solskjaer free down the right flank.

The veteran striker looked up and clipped over a cross to the back post where Rooney's superb control on his chest took Daniele de Rossi out of the game before the England international slotted a superb shot beyond goalkeeper Doni.

Roma though refused to accept a draw and launched wave after wave of attacks against a tiring United defence.

And they were rewarded after 66 minutes when Mirko Vucinic was on hand to roll home the winner after Van der Sar could only fist a powerful drive from Mancini back to the waiting substitute.

Roma could have taken a huge stride towards ending the tie ahead of next week's second leg but in the final ten minutes wasted a string of chances before Totti drove inches wide of Van der Sar's upright.

Live Commentary

90
FULL-TIME: AS ROMA 2-1 MAN UTD

90
Two minutes of time will be added to this second period

89
Roma are piling forward in the closing stages and another goal would be a killer blow for the visitors after a gallant second-half display

88
Despite the negative scoreline, United will think this tie is far from over because at the moment they are trailing by just one and have a vital away goal in the bag

87
Heinze talks his way into the book after trying to take a free-kick from the wrong position

85
Roma are looking for a third as time ticks away and United aren't helping themselves by constantly giving the ball away

83
Totti now sends Van der Sar sprawling across his line with a 20-yard piledriver which flashes just wide of the upright

82
Taddei goes off for Roma with Aleandro Rosi coming on

81
Perrotta arrives late at the back post but volleys a half chance over the ball as Roma look for a third

79
Brown deflects a low shot after Taddei beat Rooney with a cut back over the bar as United survive a scare

77
Louis Saha comes on for United with Giggs making way

77
Cassetti cynically brings down Ronaldo but yet again no yellow card for the Roma player

76
Despite the scoreline the tie is currently poised on a knife-edge with United having secured the vital away goal

74
Vucinic throws himself to the turf and yet again the referee is fooled into awarding a free-kick but the chance ends with Panucci smashing a shot well over

72
Darren Fletcher comes on for Solskjaer as United make a first change

70
Solskjaer goes into the book for a late lunge at the heels of Panucci who produces the customary exaggerated response to the tackle

69
de Rossi spoons a long-range effort well wide of the target but it doesn't dampen spirits inside the Stadio Olimpico

66
AS ROMA 2-1 MAN UTD: Van der Sar fists away a thunderbolt from Mancini but it falls to VUCINIC who guides the ball into the back of the net - questions will be asked of the goalkeeper for not guiding that ball away from his goal

65
Mancini throws himself down in the penalty area but yet again the referee doesn't see fit to flash a yellow at a Roma player

64
Vucinic almost makes an immediate impression as he lashes a low shot from 20 yards straight down the throat of Van der Sar

62
Wilhelmsson goes off with Mirko Vucinic coming on for Roma

60
AS ROMA 1-1 MAN UTD: Ronaldo dances past the tackles on the halfway line and feeds Solskjaer whose clipped cross to the back post is lashed home by ROONEY after some superb control on his chest - that was some goal

59
Ferdinand now is the latest to be penalised by a referee who hasn't been particularly generous to United tonight

59
Rooney is penalised for the softest of touches on Mexes and even the normally mild-mannered Ryan Giggs can't believe that decision

57
United are putting in plenty of effort but Roma are well on top and look capable of scoring at any given moment

55
Wilhelmsson cuts the ball back to the late arriving Perrotta who slices a volley well off target as Roma counter with real intent

53
Carrick takes down a headed clearance before clipping a left-foot shot over the bar - a first-time effort would surely have been the better option there

52
If United can survive this second half with the way Roma are playing without conceding again they will be absolutely delighted

51
Ronaldo cuts inside but slices a long-range shot high and wide to cheers of derision from the home fans

50
Totti now drills a long-range effort over from 20 yards as Roma look for a killer second goal here

48
Perrotta sweeps the ball through to Taddei who tests Van der Sar with a low shot from 15 yards

48
Daniele de Rossi lines up a shot which is blocked bravely by Michael Carrick as Roma pick up where they left off

46
United start the second half down to ten men and trailing by a goal

45
HALF-TIME: AS ROMA 1-0 MAN UTD

45
One minute of stoppage time will be added to an action packed first half

44
AS ROMA 1-0 MAN UTD: Mancini cuts a quick corner move back and TADDEI drills a low shot from ten yards into the back of the net via a deflection off Wes Brown - that's a killer blow for United so close to half-time

43
Taddei ends a three-man passing move with a low shot from 25 yards pushed around the post by Van der Sar for a corner

42
Perrotta throws himself to the ground theatrically in the box and earns a yellow card - that also puts him out of the second leg

40
Solskjaer earns himself a yard of space in the box but his low drive bounces away to safety off the first defender

38
The Roma fans are in full voice now as they sense victory against ten-man opposition

36
United have just Solskjaer upfront now with Rooney pulled back into a wide left role - Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlos Queiroz are wildly gesticulating on the touchline

34
Scholes is off as he leaves a leg out on Totti and earns himself a needless second yellow card - that's a real blow to United's chances here now

33
Totti tests Van der Sar with a low angled drive from 20 yards which the keeper smothers with relative ease

32
Ronaldo picks up the ball and drives through the middle but Chivu deflects it away from Solskjaer with a vital late touch

31
Mancini is given space in the box but the tricky winger is crowded out and United clear

30
Simone Perrotta has to head a Ronaldo free-kick into the danger area over his own crossbar as United win a first corner of the match

28
Taddei flicks the ankles of Ronaldo cynically and is lucky to escape a caution

26
Scholes goes into the book for a clumsy tackle on Wilhelmsson - that has been coming after a string of mis-timed challenges

24
Totti again lashes it into the wall and United clear the danger with Roma appealing half-heartedly for handball in the penalty box

23
Rio Ferdinand is penalised for a high foot in a tackle with Christian Wilhelmsson on the edge of the penalty area

21
Doni follows suit as he charges off his line twice in quick succession to gather the ball ahead of Rooney

20
Totti looks for Taddei with a first-time pass into the box but Van der Sar is alert and smothers the danger

18
United string about 30 passes together in their first real prolonged spell of possession in the match

16
This is a really open and exciting game with the home side going hell for leather in a bid to score and United looking to patiently pick them off

15
Totti lashes the free-kick through a poor defensive wall but it's straight at Van der Sar who holds

14
Scholes wins the ball deep in United territory but the referee decides it's a free-kick 30 yards from goal - that was a really poor decision

12
Ronaldo sprints past Panucci and leaves him for dead before nearly picking out Rooney with a low cross - that could be United's best ploy tonight

10
Philippe Mexes stops the run of Ronaldo with a strong tackle and almost plays in Francesco Totti down the right wing with a super pass which drifts just out of play

8
Scholes almost picks out the run of Wayne Rooney behind the last defender with a pass with the outside of his boot but it is picked off

7
Rodrigo Taddei stays down holding his knee after fouling Cristiano Ronaldo in midfield

6
Cristian Chivu drags a left-footed set-piece just wide of the upright with Van der Sar rooted to the spot

5
Marco Cassetti wins a free-kick on the edge of the box after a late Paul Scholes tackle

3
John O'Shea mis-controls a ball played across the back four but Edwin Van der Sar is alive to the danger and clears

1
Gabriel Heinze concedes an early corner and Christian Panucci misses a glorious opportunity when the ball comes back in after being cleared - he did look dubiously offside though

1
Roma kick-off the match inside a packed and vocal Stadio Olimpico

0
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has also been preferred in attack to Louis Saha with both players just back from month-long injury absentees

0
United have plenty of injury concerns with Gary Neville, Mikael Silvestre and Nemanja Vidic all absent, while AS Roma are missing the suspended David Pizarro and injured Max Tonetto

0
AS Roma are unbeaten at the Stadio Olimpico in their last nine European ties so an away win will be no mean feat for Sir Alex Ferguson?s side

0
Manchester United face AS Roma in a Champions League quarter-final first leg meeting tonight in Italy

Statistics

AS Roma

Shots on target	11
Shots off target	15
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	17
Offsides	3
Corners	9

Manchester United

Shots on target	5
Shots off target	4
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	19
Offsides	2
Corners	3

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