CL 2nd Leg: A.S Roma - Real Madrid [05-03-08]

[Podolski]

roma scores again in added time, so they're through..
well done..
we were poor & you played very well. hopefully this will help us through the league. with all our injuries i don't think we could have done well if we had gotten
through, salgado got injured this match too. we definately need to improve our squad, guti is too inconsistent, baptista not good enough, robben too injury prone, soldado not good enough. I thought gago played really well though, totti was invisible

[dukeofdavinci]

we fucking did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was not our best play and i have to admit it was even worse in 2nd half.we barely cleared the ball and all of our players were sloppy.

the turning point of the game has to be vucinic .the moment he entered we got some attacking play and glad that it lead to our goal.beautiful cross, beautiful header.

cant say much for reals goal but if the ref passed it no point arguing, but still real just came alive after going 1 man down, and im really really thank full it didnt happen when they were 11 man up.

mancini seemed tired, aquilani was great in the 1st but was rubbish in the 2nd .cicinho has to play more for us, what else we still seek in him to make him a regular starter??none as he is already nice fit in to our squad.tonetto was playing very neat today, and im very impressed wth his over lapping runs.

[Trim]

Bravo, Roma!

[dukeofdavinci]

Champions League, Rd2, 2nd leg - 5/3/08 (19.45)
R Madrid 1 - 2 Roma (2-4 agg)
Taddei 73 (R), Raul 75 (M), Vucinic 92 (R)
Bernabeu

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Roma have eliminated Real Madrid to reach the Champions League quarter-finals by winning 2-1 in Spain with Rodrigo Taddei and Mirko Vucinic!

The Giallorossi travelled to Madrid with a 2-1 first leg lead to protect and managed to recover Juan from injury, but David Pizarro was on the bench for Alberto Aquilani. Cicinho got the nod ahead of Christian Panucci to face his former club. Real had many fitness concerns, as they were without Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Christoph Metzelder, Pep Saviola, Wesley Snejder and the suspended Sergio Ramos, but Robinho was back.

Aquilani had the first chance after seven minutes when a corner was rolled out to the D, but he lost his footing. Francesco Totti also failed to make contact from the edge of the box, but there were nervous moments at the other end when Alexander Doni missed Guti's free kick and Amantino Mancini had to clear the danger.

Doni did rather better soon after, getting down well to palm a deflected Julio Baptista free kick round the base of the upright.

However, Roma went even closer with two stunning efforts from Aquilani on 18 minutes. Aquilani pulled a right-foot snapshot out of nowhere to cannon on to the woodwork from 20 metres. The move continued and Aquilani had another strike pushed out for a corner one-handed by a desperate Iker Casillas.

A mistaken De Rossi clearance sent Baptista clear, but he fired over from eight yards under pressure from Philippe Mexes.

Mancini's solo effort was deflected over the bar and Aquilani hit another long-range low drive just wide, while Doni comfortably smothered Baptista's attempt.

Straight after the restart Baptista curled a free kick from 25 metres over the wall and down on to the top of the crossbar with Doni rooted to the spot.

Roma threatened too with a great opportunity. Cicinho was in acres of space down the right and his cutback found Perrotta, but Casillas and his defenders did just enough to clear the danger from six yards.

Perrotta nodded a Cicinho cross off target, but Doni had his palms stung by a swerving Mahamadou Diarra attempt from distance. Diarra went off for attacking winger Royston Drenthe, as Real had 30 minutes left and needed to run more risks.

Raul's header from a Guti free kick was over, the Doni did well to anticipate Drenthe on a ball over the defence. Miguel Torres replaced the injured Michel Salgado, while striker Mirko Vucinic came on for an unhappy-looking Mancini.

Yet the Giallorossi hit the bar for the second time in the match with the substitute. Max Tonetto combined with Vucinic, whose first time left-foot shot cracked against the woodwork.

Robinho had a free header at the back post, but Drenthe's cross was too weak and he nodded wide.

Pepe hauled down Vucinic as he tried to run into the box from the byeline and it was his second bookable offence, so Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

Roma took immediate advantage and took the lead at the Bernabeu. Tonetto whipped in a brilliant cross and Rodrigo Taddei got in front of Heinze for a powerful header into the far top corner.

Real would not be beaten and fought back within a minute in controversial circumstances. Raul was clearly offside when he gathered from Robinho and placed an angled drive past Doni.

Pizarro replaced Perrotta, but the Spaniards were pouring forward in desperation now and a deflected Drenthe cross settled on to the roof of the net.

Cicinho wasted a golden opportunity on the counter with three Romanisti against as many Real defenders, as he attempted an audacious chip from 25 metres. The former Madrid full-back made way for another Bernabeu habitue', Christian Panucci.

Moments later De Rossi was flagged offside when he almost got a decisive touch to a header back across the face of goal, but he was behind the ball.

Roma put the fixture beyond doubt in stoppages with another away goal. Panucci thumped a free kick between Casillas and Fabio Cannavaro for Vucinic's header from six yards to silence the Bernabeu.


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Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado (Torres 64), Cannavaro, Pepe, Heinze; Diarra (Drenthe 60), Gago; Baptista (Soldado 85), Guti, Robinho; Raul
Roma: Doni; Cicinho (Panucci 87), Juan, Mexes, Tonetto; Aquilani, De Rossi; Mancini (Vucinic 64), Perrotta (Pizarro 76), Taddei; Totti
Ref: Vassaras (Gre)
Sent off: Pepe 70 (M)

match report.

[jec1]

ROMAAAAAAAAAA

[Pennywise]

Thanks for the match and well done, Roma!

You played right and calm and actually won the whole shit 2-1 at Bernabeu.

However, as expected. I'm actually not disapointed at all. I can't. Why?

This was not 'the Real' Madrid. With so many regulars out on this level, will create unstability and no float in the play, since that startinglineup never have played any match with each other.

Baptista-Raul on top with two defensive midfielders and Guti-Robinho as wings. Salgado as rightback and a rusty Pepe as CD after a grow injure.

Casillas

Ramos - Pepe - Cannavaro - Heinze

Robben - Sneijder - Gago - Robinho

Van Nistelrooy - Raul

This is 'the Real' Madrid. With Metzelder, Guti, Drenthe, Saviola, Baptista, etc as backups.


But I can't say that this team had won or not. They had of course had a very much better chance. But that's football...some teams are more unlucky than others and I'm glad Madrid are out of this so they can focus on La Liga ( when the situation have turned with so many out )
It had been very great and exciting to go wider with this Real Madrid - espesially since they actually have a great team - but......maybe next year.

Good luck wider and kick out some English next round, Roma :P


Btw, the referee were horrible - both ways.

[dukeofdavinci]

Btw, the referee were horrible - both ways.

agreed, he barely let an open play wth too many whistles

[Jager]

As I watched the game, more of the Roma players wanted this. And I feel Roma now have turned a new leaf.

You guys can't understand how important this victory is for AS Roma.

From a financial standpoint..its huge.

From a standpoint of getting new and better players, its huge.

From the standpoint of being much better off as a club, this is huge.

Again, congrats on the victory. I enjoyed the match intensely.

Hats off to Real Madrid for being the class act they are as an organization.

[sinoy1]

Unsung hero



How vital has be been lately.

[Jager]

He is making me a believer, and he has taken the pressure of Totti. Great game he had....

[Vargas_4]

Great game for Roma. They deserved the win.

Real Madrid didn't seem so creative. They only managed to create danger from set pieces where they were a bit unlucky not to score.

Note. Raul's goal should have been disallowed. But this isn't exactly the first time Real Madrid are allowed this kinds of thing (just like the "penalty" they were awarded at Allianz-Arena). But the important thing is that the better team progressed, just like last time.

Anyways, as Jager said; huge, huge for Roma. In every aspect.

By the way. I find it hilarious that Real Madrid let Cicinho go to keep Michel Salgado.

[sinoy1]

We're all surprised at Real Madrid keeping Salgado.Cicinho has been great.He offers so much to the club offensively.Lateral passes.Pace.But late in the game a person like Panucci is extremely important.He shut down the right side for the little time he had also provided the cross to Vucinic.

Im extremely ecstatic on this win.I dont think ill be sleeping.I just hope we dont get Man U ( ive probably just jinxed us)

[cerebral_assassin]

Great game, best i've seen for the round.

[Pennywise]

Originally Posted by Vargas_4

Great game for Roma. They deserved the win.

Real Madrid didn't seem so creative. They only managed to create danger from set pieces where they were a bit unlucky not to score.

Note. Raul's goal should have been disallowed. But this isn't exactly the first time Real Madrid are allowed this kinds of thing (just like the "penalty" they were awarded at Allianz-Arena). But the important thing is that the better team progressed, just like last time.

Anyways, as Jager said; huge, huge for Roma. In every aspect.

By the way. I find it hilarious that Real Madrid let Cicinho go to keep Michel Salgado.

1. Real Madrid were not creative because they had too many subs on the field who were equal and not had played with each other before. Van Nistelrooy, Robben, Sneijder, Ramos, Metzelder, Saviola were all out + Robinho and Pepe were just back from heavy injures. That created unstability as I warned on before the match.

2. Salgado is Real Madrids 4th choice as rightback. Sergio Ramos were suspended, Christoph Metzelder were injured and Miguel Torres were not 100 % after his injure in Huelva last weekend. So - Cicinho were not sold because of Salgado - he is actually the 4th choice but had to play yesterday because of the heavy injure situation.