charles
Graham Fisher
Andrew Aigner-Muehler
LukeS
HardyManchester United 7 - 1 Roma
April 11th 2007 03:14
Tue, Apr 10:
RESULTS:
Manchester United 7 -1
Roma (Agg. 8-3)
Valencia 1 - 2
Chelsea (Agg 2-3)
SUMMARY:
Just in case you were wondering, there is no typo in the title of my post.
That is the amazing score-line by which the Red Devils emerged victorious from their clash against Roma at Old Trafford in a pulsating night of European football.
In one of Manchester United's most devastating performances in Europe, the Red Devils completely and utterly destroyed Italian club Roma to advance through to the last four of Europe's elite club competition.
By half-time, the Red Devils were already 4 - 0 up with goals from Michael Carrick, Alan Smith, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.
All four goals were top notch and everything had fallen into place for Manchester United.
One would have predicted the second half to be less exciting than the first with United to defend their 4-nil cushion, but Ronaldo carried on the rampage with his 2nd goal and United's fifth of the evening just five minutes after the restart.
5 - 0.
If the score-line was getting a little ridiculous, the ease with which United carved up Roma's defence was ludicrous and soon Carrick had his second goal of the night with an arrowed shot into the top right corner.
6 - 0.
Roma pulled one back nine minutes later, but it was hardly worth celebrating as evident from the muted response from their shell-shocked fans.
Second half substitute Patrice Evra completed the rout with United's 7th goal in the 81st minute.
Chelsea's Ghana midfielder Michael Essien scored a sensational late winner to earn his side a berth in the Champion's League semi-final over-night.
With the match seemingly headed for extra-time, Essien rammed home an acutely angled shot in injury time to dump Spanish side Valencia out of the competition.
Valencia's Fernando Morientes had given his side the lead with a goal just past the half-hour and the reigning English champions were in trouble knowing that they had fallen 2-1 behind on aggregate.
Mourinho knew he had to make changes and sent on the talented Joe Cole in place of the ineffective Diarra during half-time and the move paid dividends.
Cole's direct running and trickery caused chaos in the Valencia box and up stepped striker Andriy Shevchenko to bundle in the equaliser - the Blues were back.
Chelsea continued to press and should have scored from a Ballack free-kick had it not been for the brilliance of opposition goalkeeper Canizares' fantastic save but Essien finally managed the vital breakthrough with his angle drive in stoppage time.
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