Skip to main content
BBC SPORT / EUROPE
Graphics Version | BBC News Home
Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Football Contents:  My Club | Gossip | Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two | Non League | FA Cup | League Cup | Scottish Premier | Scottish League | Scottish Cups | Welsh | Irish | Internationals | Europe | African Women | Football Focus | Match of the Day | Final Score | World Football | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved | Your Game

Tuesday, 10 April 2007, 20:37 GMT 21:37 UK

Man Utd 7-1 Roma (agg 8-3)

By Chris Bevan

United celebrate Michael Carrick's opener against Roma A scintillating display by Manchester United saw them tear Roma apart to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Michael Carrick curled in United's opener and Alan Smith fired home before Wayne Rooney added their third of the night, finishing off a superb move.

Cristiano Ronaldo fired into the bottom corner and slid home a Ryan Giggs cross before Carrick smashed home a sixth.

Roma replied through Daniele De Rossi before Patrice Evra's low shot rounded off United's amazing 8-3 aggregate win.

There have been many memorable performances at Old Trafford down the years but few can compare to the display Sir Alex Ferguson's men put on here.

The scuffles between fans outside the ground before kick-off were quickly forgotten once the game got underway, with United looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.

Both sides showed attacking intentions in the opening minutes with Roma's Francesco Totti going closest with a fierce shot that fizzed past Edwin van der Sar's right-hand post.

But it was United who grabbed control of the tie with three goals in eight first-half minutes.

Carrick opened the scoring on 11 minutes when he picked up the ball from Ronaldo and bent the ball past a stationary Doni.

606: DEBATE
" "
AG

Six minutes later it was 2-0 when Gabriel Heinze and Giggs combined before the Welshman flighted a perfect pass into the path of Smith, who finished with aplomb to net his first goal for United since November 2005.

Rooney got in on the act soon after, timing his run superbly to slot home Giggs' low cross after the Italian side had been completely torn apart down the right flank.

A shell-shocked Roma tried to respond and almost pulled a goal back when Philippe Mexes headed a David Pizarro free-kick wide.

But the visitors' attempts to find a way back into the game only succeeded in leaving themselves more vulnerable to United's pacey attack.

Carrick went close when he headed a Giggs corner at Doni but could not react quickly enough when the ball bounced straight back at him.

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring United's fifth

And Ronaldo did make it 4-0 before half-time with a precise finish into the bottom corner after the Roma defence had made the mistake of inviting him to shoot.

United were quite simply superb, and they did not let up after the break either.

Ronaldo, who was in sublime form, slid home a low Giggs cross for number five before Carrick's piledriver made it 6-0 on the hour mark.

Roma did get one goal back through De Rossi's neat finish on the turn but the game was long since up for the Italian side.

It was exhibition stuff for Ferguson's side by the end and they got the final word they richly deserved when Evra's low shot beat Doni.

Like United's first six goals it was a fine finish and completed a magnificent victory, their biggest in Europe since they beat Irish side Waterford on their way to winning the 1968 European Cup.

United will take on AC Milan or Bayern Munich in the last four as they look to book their place in this year's final in Athens on 23 May.


Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Ferdinand, Heinze, O'Shea (Evra 52), Ronaldo, Fletcher, Carrick (Richardson 73), Giggs (Solskjaer 61), Rooney, Smith.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Dong, Cathcart, Eagles.

Booked: Smith, Ferdinand.

Goals: Carrick 12, Smith 17, Rooney 19, Ronaldo 44, 49, Carrick 60, Evra 81.

Roma: Doni, Panucci, Mexes, Chivu, Cassetti, Wilhelmsson (Rosi 88), De Rossi (Faty 86), Vucinic, Pizarro, Mancini (Okaka Chuka 90), Totti.
Subs Not Used: Curci, Defendi, Ferrari, Taddei.

Booked: Cassetti, Mexes.

Goals: De Rossi 69.

Att: 74,476

Ref: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).




E-mail this to a friend
Related to this story:

Fans charged over United clashes (11 Apr 07 |  Manchester )
Debate: Finest English Euro hour? (11 Apr 07 |  Football )
Ferguson hails 'greatest' victory (10 Apr 07 |  Europe )
Champions League clockwatch (10 Apr 07 |  Europe )
Champions League pictures (10 Apr 07 |  Football )
Graham Taylor on Man Utd (10 Apr 07 |  Europe )
Fans clash with police at Man Utd (10 Apr 07 |  Europe )
Roma 2-1 Man Utd (04 Apr 07 |  Europe )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
AS Roma
Uefa
Football on the BBC
Your say - 606
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites



SEARCH BBC SPORT: 

Sport Homepage | Football | Formula 1 | Olympics | Cricket | Rugby Union | Rugby League | Tennis | Golf | Athletics | Cycling | Motorsport | Boxing | Snooker | Horse Racing | Disability Sport | Other sport... | Sports Personality | TV/Radio Schedule | Sport Academy | Fun and Games | Inside Sport | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales
Football Contents:  My Club | Gossip | Premier League | Championship | League One | League Two | Non League | FA Cup | League Cup | Scottish Premier | Scottish League | Scottish Cups | Welsh | Irish | Internationals | Europe | African Women | Football Focus | Match of the Day | Final Score | World Football | Skills | Laws & Equipment | Get Involved | Your Game

^ Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage | Feedback | Help | ©