Manchester United vs. Roma Live!
It's "squeaky bum" time at Old Trafford this afternoon as United take on Roma in the second leg of their Champions League quarter final. United seem to be in pole position, having that vital away goal in reserve as they go into this match 1-2 down. The police are out in force again today, but let's hope we don't see a repeat of the shocking scenes in the stands in Rome last week. Join me for all the action live on ESPN2 this afternoon.
posted by gatorbob @ 1:43 PM
34 Comments:
Here are the sides for today's match:
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Smith.
Subs: Kuszczak, Evra, Solskjaer, Dong, Richardson, Cathcart, Eagles.
Roma: Doni, Panucci, Mexes, Chivu, Cassetti, Wilhelmsson, De Rossi, Vucinic, Pizarro, Mancini, Totti.
Subs: Curci, Faty, Defendi, Ferrari, Vucinic, Rosi, Okaka Chuka.
Referee: Lubos Michel (Slovakia)
It's Smithy's first start for ManYoo in this competition in three years. Let's hope he has a good 'un.
As David's away visiting family in Blighty, I'll have to serve as honorary ManYoo fan on the LOB this afternoon. As I've said many times, I always support the English sides in Europe. Come on you Red Devils!
For once, Tommy Smyth has left his "onion bag" obsession aside and has given us a reasonably significant statistic - ManYoo have not scored in the first twenty minutes of any game in the Champions League this season. If that happens again tonight, the nerves really will start to set in.
Totti has the first real pop for Roma, and it whistles just past the post. VDS well beaten. The United defence definitely have to push up on these guys.
Lovely threaded ball from Skippy to Smithy, who rushed his shot there. Smithy sporting the Beckham "Parrothead" look tonight.
GOAL: 1-0 United! Michael Carrick scores his first goal in the Champions League, collecting a ball from Skippy and noticing that Doni was way off his line and scooping the ball over the prostrate keeper. Great start for the Red Devils!
United fans starting up the "Oles" already - bit early for that malarkey. But this is the side that has had the engravers on speed dial all season.
GOAL! United 2-0! Smithy - well done lad! Giggs is inexplicably wide open as he plays Smithy in on goal and he doesn't miss that kind of chance.
GOAL! 3-0! United are in dreamland as Wayne Rooney finishes off another chance from Ryan Giggs, this time on the right. Chivu was completely skinned there.
I'm astonished by this from a defense - including Mexes, whom United wanted a few years ago - that had only given up six goals in the entire competition before tonight. Bloody hell! They're being crushed!
De Rossi almost gets one back for Roma as he nods a free kick just wide.
Skippy rakes a shot just wide - he could easily have made it 4-0 there.
Mexes and Rio having a bit of handbags there - keep your cool, Gangaboy!
That could easily have been a penalty against the clumsy O'Shea who seems to push over De Rossi in the area. Not exactly a model defensive display from these two teams tonight.
Smithy characteristically picks up a yellow card for a rash tackle back. Surely that sort of nonsense is unnecessary in a match where you're leading 3-0.
Carrick might have had a second goal there, heading on target from a Giggs corner, but Doni does well to keep it out and Carrick scuffs the rebound wide when a little more composure might've helped.
GOAL! More suicidal defending from Roma and Skippy slots home easily for 4-0.
I just don't get Roma's tactics tonight. They've been pushing up on United all game long rather than putting men behind the ball as most European teams do. Italian teams are always seen as tactically superior but not on tonight's evidence.
Dangerous looking free kick here for Totti....
Great strike but it's saved by VDS. And Skippy is away again.
Half-time: 4-0. You'd have to say "Game over." The aggregate score is now 5-2 - Roma will need three goals in the second half to salvage this one. It's been done but it's an extremely tough ask. If Sir Alex is clever, he'll take the flair players like Skippy off and stick on some water-carriers.
Second half starting...
Totti has an early pop and it's a weak off target effort. Story of the night for Roma.
GOAL: It's 5-0! Skippy's second. Giggs again with no coverage from Roma is able to whip a dangerous ball in. Mexes bundles over Smithy at the near post but Skippy's there to tap in. This is becoming embarrassing.
Evra is replacing O'Shea. It'll be interesting to see how they'll reshuffle the backfour. Evra usually plays at leftback, but Heinze is there already. As per my advice, they're packing things up, not that Roma have any chance now of coming back.
GOAL! Oh my, it's 6! And it's that goal machine Michael Carrick again. What did they slip in his pre-match cuppa today?
Smithy tries to lob Doni for his second and United's seventh.
Solsjaer's on now and hoping to get in on the action, trying to chip Doni for United's seventh goal tonight.
United not taking their foot off the accelerator; still looking for more goals.
GOAL! And finally Roma have a goal and it's a sweet one. Totti whips in a dangerous ball there and De Rossi hits a volley first time that leaves VDS standing. 6-1.
Meanwhile, the other match today between Valencia and Chelski is still on a knife's edge. It's 1-1 (2-2 on aggregate) after first Morientes and then Sheva scored today. About fifteen minutes to settle this one before it goes into extra time.
Football 365 comment on Valencia vs. Chelski: "The game is nicely poised but the quality is sadly lacking for such a high-profile match."
GOAL! 7-1! You know you're having a good night when Patrice Evra gets on the scoresheet. Evra ghosts in from the right, scuffs a shot, but that doesn't matter. It dinks off the near post and in. United now have their biggest win in Champions League history.
Another disappointing shot from Totti there. Totti made a statement before the tie that he didn't think much of English football, but he's been totally schooled by an English team tonight.
Five more minutes for Chelski to win this tie - come on Drogs! One in off the bum please.
GOAL! Essien has done it for Chelski. A late, late winner that will see Chelski through to the semis. So two in tonight and certainly another tomorrow night with Liverpool 3-0 up from the first leg. Take that English football bashers!
Into extra time at Old Trafford with United leading 8-3 on aggregate. Incredible night for them. The treble is still on for United. (But remember that the quadruple is still on for Chelski). It's going to be a cracking end to the season. These results also assure that there will be at least one English side in the final.
Full time in Valencia and Chelski are through. My hat's off to them; I didn't think that they had the bottle to win in Spain tonight. Tremendous victory that means that they'll almost certainly play Liverpool in the semis. Manchester United will play either Milan or more likely Bayern in the semis. Good stuff for the old country.
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