ITALY: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Italian side AS Roma defeats 10-man Manchester United

Goals by Rodrigo Taddei and Mirko Vucinic gave AS Roma a 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday (April 4). It was the second United away match in Europe to be marred by crowd trouble with fans clashing with Roma supporters first and then police at halftime. United went a man down in the 34th minute when Paul Scholes picked up a second booking and Roma capitalised with a goal a minute before halftime by Brazilian playmaker Taddei. Wayne Rooney volleyed a fine equaliser as United broke forward on the hour, but second-half substitute Vucinic restored the home side's lead six minutes later to extend Roma's unbeaten home record in European competition to 10 matches. "Of the teams left it was the team we didn't want, because I think their form is very consistent', said Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson afterwards. Roma really took charge of the match, however, in the 34th minute when Paul Scholes - who had already picked up a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Wilhelmsson - stuck his leg out in front of Totti to earn another booking and leave United with 10 men. "I don't think I can complain with the first booking at all, I think it was a booking. The second one, I think, in a big game like that I think a good referee would not have sent him off," said Ferguson. AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti told a news conference afterwards: "It is a victory worth a draw, because in the end you have to play all the games well." But he acknowledged his team showed great confidence. "It was a test of great maturity. We had to face a great team, players used to play in this kind of competitions, we needed to immediately take a step further our attitude," Spalletti said.

ITN Source | April 6, 2007

Tags:. .left. .football. .charge. .didnt. .took