Roma beat Milan 2-1 in the Stadio Olimpico to reach the UEFA Europa League semifinals again. They will face Leverkusen who eliminated West Ham.
Roma were the better team in the first 30 minutes and went 2-0 ahead thanks to goals from Gianluca Mancini and Paulo Dybala. However, Mehmet Celik made life hard for the hosts as he was sent off for a reckless challenge on Leao. Milan came close to scoring twice through Loftus-Cheek, but they were unlucky and the first half ended 2-0.
In the second half, the visitors controlled the game but barely had chances til the last minutes. In the 85th minute, Matteo Gabbia scored with a header from Leao’s cross to cut the lead. The Ref sent off Theo Hernandez in the last moments, but then changed his decision thanks to VAR. The match ended 2-1 and AS Roma eliminated AC Milan 3-1 on aggregate.
AS Roma vs AC Milan: Play-by-Play
The hosts started better and scored the first goal in the 12th minute. After a teamwork play, Lorenzo Pellegrini hit the bar with a lob shot and Gianluca Mancini was there to tap in the rebound to put the Giallorossi ahead. AC Milan almost responded quickly in the 20th minute, but Loftus-Cheek’s hammer shot hit the bar and Gabbia headed the ball wide from the resulting corner.
Two minutes later, Romelu Lukaku chased the ball down the right flank and cut the ball back after a nice move. The visitors could not clear it well and it fell to Paulo Dybala who scored with a precise curling shot. Moments later, Lukaku who looked injured, was replaced by Tammy Abraham.
The next twist in the match came in the 31st minute as Mr. Szymon Marciniak sent off Mehmet Celik for a reckless tackle on Rafael Leao. Five minutes later, Milan came close to scoring again, but Loftus-Cheek’s header was blocked by Spinazzola. The visitors who had nothing to lose, brought on Luka Jovic for Ismael Bennacer, and De Rossi responded by subbing Dybala for Diego Llorente. Nothing important happened in the last minutes and the score remained 2-0.
Second Half Report
Before the Kick-off, Pioli made two changes. Samuel Chukwueze and Tijani Reijnders replaced Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Davide Calabria. In the 48th minute, Luka Jovic had a chance to score from a cross, but Svliar gathered the ball well. A few minutes later, Roma defenders denied Pulisic with a block. On the other side, Maignan was forced to make a save from Spinazzola on the counter.
In the 65th minute, Tammy Abraham wasted a good chance for Roma and sent the ball to the sky from close range. As we reached the final 15 minutes, Milan’s attacks continued, but they could not find the way through despite having 10 corners. The 10-men hosts who had not a corner til this moment, seemed in control of the tie.
The visitors finally scored in the 85th minute. Rafael Leao crossed the ball from the left flank and Matteo Gabbia headed home to make it 2-1. Four minutes later, Svilar made a good save to deny Chukwueze. In the added time, Mraciniak sent off Theo Hernandez, but he changed his decision with the help of VAR. The Ref blew his whistle after 96 minutes and the Giallorossi went through 3-1 on aggregate.
AS Roma Player Ratings (4-3-3)
Mile Svilar (GK) – 7/10: Solid performance with a string of saves in the second half. He could do nothing about the goal.
Mehmet Celik (RB) – 4/10: Sent off for a reckless and unnecessary tackle on Leao. Very bad decision-making from the right back.
Chris Smalling (CB) – 7/10: Good display from the English defender. He was present everywhere he needed to be.
Gianluca Mancini (CB) – 8/10: Scored the first goal from a rebound and performed well overall tonight. Man of the match.
Leonardo Spinazzola (LB) – 7/10: Made a vital block on Loftus-Cheek’s header in the first half. He was good in defense and attack.
Eduardo Bove (CM) – 7/10: Solid and selfless performance from the young Italian, in the place of suspended Cristante.
Leandro Paredes (CM) – 7/10: Good performance. He was in front of the defense that contained Milan’s attacks throughout the game.
Lorenzo Pellegrini (CM) – 8/10: His shot led to the hosts’ first goal. Very nice display from the captain.
Paulo Dybala (RW) – 8/10: Scored the second goal with a brilliant finish. He was subbed after Celik’s red card.
Stephan El Shaarawy (LW) – 7/10: The Italian winger was lively tonight and helped his side to defend with ten men.
Romelu Lukaku (ST) – 7/10: Good performance from the Belgian, before being injured in the first half. His run and pass led to his side’s second goal.
Substitutes
Tammi Abraham (For Romelu Lukaku -29‘) – 5/10: Replaced the injured Lukaku and wasted a chance to make it 3-0.
Diego Llorente (For Paulo Dybala – 43‘) – 7/10: Was introduced to the match when his side was down to ten men. He performed well overall.
Renato Sanches (For Lorenzo Pelligrini -82‘) – 6/10: Came late into the match and did his job.
Angelino (For Edoardo Bove – 82‘) – 5/10: Came on late for the exhausted youngster.
Manager
Daniele De Rossi – 9/10: The former Roma skipper has been doing a fine job after replacing Jose Mourinho. This match was one of his best as he outcoached Pioli again.
AC Milan Player Ratings (4-2-3-1)
Mike Maignan (GK) – 6/10: Could do nothing about the goals. Normal performance from the French international.
Davide Calabria (RB) – 5/10: The captain could do better on Roma’s first goal. He was subbed at half-time.
Matteo Gabbia (CB) – 5/10: Was at fault for the hosts’ second goal. He scored in the last minute but that was not enough.
Fikayo Tomori (CB) – 5/10: He was not at his best. Though, he could do little about either of goals.
Theo Hernandez (LB) – 6/10: Milan’s roadrunner was quiet. It was a night to forget for him.
Ismael Bennacer (DM) – 5/10: Not a good display from the Algerian before subbing in the first half.
Yunus Musah (DM) – 6/10: Normal performance. He could not do much to help his team, but barely made mistake either.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek (CAM) – 6/10: Came close to scoring a couple of times, but wasn’t fortunate. He was subbed at half-time.
Christian Pulisic (RW) – 5/10: Not one of his best nights. The expectations were higher from the American international.
Rafael Leao (LW) – 7/10: Made the assist to Gabbia and his run resulted in Celik’s sending-off. He was Milan’s best player.
Olivier Giroud (ST) – 5/10: The French veteran was quiet all night and could do little to help his team.
Substitutes
Luka Jovic (For – 40‘) – 5/10: Came onto the pitch after Roma was down to ten men but did not have an impact.
Samuel Chukwueze (For Ruben Loftus-Cheek – 46‘) – 6/10: One of the better Milan’s players. His side looked more dangerous in the second half with him.
Tijani Reijnders (For Davide Calabria – 46‘) – 6/10: Normal service from the box-to-box midfielder who probably should have started the match.
Noah Okafor (For Christian Pulisic – 69‘) – 5/10: Played about 25 minutes but could not change Milan’s fate.
Alessandro Florenzi (For Yunus Musah – 69‘) – 5/10: Did not have a real impact.
Manager
Stefano Pioli – 4/10: He probably missed the last chance to save his job. His starting XI, defensive strategy, and game management were nowhere near good.
