voldemort

Real Madrid came into this game without a whole host of first team players. Dutch trio Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Ruud Van Nistelrooy were all injured, as were Christoph Metzelder and Javier Saviola. Sergio Ramos was suspended. Pepe and Guti both returned.

Roma had virtually a full-strength squad to choose from, the exception being Marco Cassetti, who had a shoulder injury. Cicinho and Alberto Aquilani were both preferred to Christian Panucci and David Pizarro respectively.

The away side had the first sniff of goal on six minutes as Francesco Totti cut a corner back intelligently to the edge of the penalty area but Aquilani completely kicked at thin air.

Cicinho then went on a raid down the right, who located Totti just outside the area, but the Roma captain scuffed his shot badly.
On 12 minutes Real Madrid almost had a chance as Guti whipped in a corner from the left towards the back post, but Fabio Cannavaro misjudged the flight of the ball.

Just minutes later Alexander Doni was forced into the first serious save of the game as he flew to his right to turn away a deflected 30-yard free-kick from Julio Baptista.

Alberto Aquilani then exploded into life. First he unleashed a brilliant long-shot from 30 yards that thundered off the angle of post and bar with Iker Casillas completely beaten. Mancini recovered the ball and laid it back into the path of Aquilani, who fired in another piledriver which Cassilas palmed away superbly.

On 20 minutes Madrid had their only good chance of the first half as the ball fell kindly to Baptista in the area following good work from Robinho, but with just Doni to beat ‘The Beast’ sliced the ball wide.

Roma were sitting deep, before launching fast counter-attacks. Mancini was the next player to find some space down the left but his shot was deflected harmlessly wide.

The hugely impressive Aquliani was shooting every time he picked up the ball and he hit another long-range effort that fizzed wide.

Madrid were struggling to break down the well-organised Roma backline, and were resorting to hopeful shots from distance. Baptista hit a tame effort straight at Doni, while down the other end Totti also failed to make good contact with the ball from similar range.

Defences were clearly on top, and De Rossi became the umpteenth player to try to beat Casillas from well outside the box, but his effort was never troubling the Spain number one.

The remainder of the half was played in the midfield and Roma went in at the interval having comfortably held out Real Madrid.
Just three minutes into the second half and it was the home side’s turn to hit the woodwork. Baptista stepped up and whipped a wonderful, dipping free-kick over the wall, only to see it crash off the crossbar with Doni a mere spectator.

Roma then went very close down the other end as Fabio Cannavaro made a crucial clearance after Perrotta’s close-range shot had been charged down by Casillas.

The second half was much more open, but still the referee was trying his best to ruin it by blowing his whistle for petty, non-existent fouls every 30 seconds.

Cicinho was enjoying his return back to the Bernabeu and he picked out Perrotta’s forward run, which the midfielder glanced wide.

Down the other end Mahamadou Diarra wound up from 30 yards, and Doni had to be attentive to turn the ball over the bar. Totti also tried his luck down the other end, but the pace was taken off his shot by a deflection, and it was comfortable for Casillas.

Bernd Schuster knew he had to make some changes, and on the hour-mark he introduced Royston Drenthe for Diarra. Michel Salgado also had to come off due to injury, and was replaced by Miguel Torres.

Raul had been very quiet for the home side, but he ghosted into the penalty area, and nodded over from a Guti set-piece.

On 64 minutes Roma made their first change of the night as Mirko Vucinic, who had been brilliant against Inter a week ago, came on for Mancini.

Just seconds after coming on Vucinic was desperately unlucky not to score as Tonetto cut the ball back to him, and the Montenegrin thrashed the ball against the crossbar from 12 yards.

Madrid looked bereft of ideas, but on 68 minutes they created their best chance of the game as Drenthe picked out Robinho in acres of space at the back post, but the Brazilian panicked and headed the ball disappointingly wide when he had time to take a touch.

On 70 minutes Madrid were dealt a huge blow when Pepe was sent off, after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Vucinic. It was no surprise at all, as the referee, who was having a nightmare, had been dishing out yellow cards all night for petty fouls. The night ended with eight yellow cards when in truth it was a fair and clean match.

Just two minutes after Pepe’s sending off and Roma took the lead, as Taddei leapt brilliantly to head Tonetto’s left-wing cross into the top corner.

Just a minute later though Madrid were level, as Robinho slipped in Raul, who stroked the ball past Doni. Replays showed that Raul was clearly offside, and the goal shouldn’t have stood.

Luciano Spalletti looked to solidify things, and brought on the more defensive Pizarro for Perrotta.

Ten-man Madrid were lifted by their equalizer and started to throw everything at Roma, looking for the goal that would force extra time. Raul’s close-range shot was deflected over as the away side sat deeper and deeper.

This left Madrid liable to be caught on the break and Cicinho wasted a three-on-three situation as he unsuccessfully tried to lob Casillas.

On 87 minutes Roma could have killed the tie as Taddei was completely unmarked at the back post and he nodded the ball across goal but De Rossi just couldn’t get his toe to the ball.

However in injury time the final nail was put in Real Madrid’s coffin as late substitute Christian Panucci curled in a free-kick, and Vucinic was left free to nod the ball past Casillas.

Goal Scorers:

73' Rodrigo Taddei
75' Raul
90' Mirko Vucinic

source:goal.com