Ronaldo rested as United ease into Champions League semis-finals

Manchester United 1-0 Roma
(Manchester United win 3-0 on aggregate)

Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and Carlos Queiroz are in the last four of the Champions League. Ronaldo was given the night off as Manchester United secured a Champions League semi-final meeting with Barcelona after seeing off the challenge of Roma at Old Trafford.

With a two-goal lead from the first leg in the Italian capital, United boss Ferguson left both Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on the bench, as Carlos Tevez’s goal on 70 minutes settled what was an entertaining encounter at the Theatre of Dreams.

United got off to an excellent start, creating numerous chances inside the first ten minutes. Ji-Sung Park got in behind the Roma defence early on but dragged his shot across goal, before the Korean then crossed for Tevez to head wide and Wes Brown nodded a Ryan Giggs corner over the bar.

The chances kept coming throughout the opening half hour, with Giggs playing Owen Hargreaves through on goal only for Doni to make the block. Giggs and Anderson also forced Doni into saves, while Roma threatened for the first time through Mirko Vucinic, who drew a save from Edwin van Der Sar, then with a long-range effort from Mancini which was also kept out by the Dutchman.

Penalty miss

Having seen much of the opening thirty minutes go their way, United were stunned when referee Tom Henning Ovrebo awarded Roma a penalty following Wes Brown’s challenge on Mancini. It looked a harsh decision and when Daniel De Rossi blasted his spot-kick over the bar United felt justice was done.

The penalty incident appeared to spark Roma into life, and the Italians ended the first half strongly. The second period was a much more even affair from the first whistle, as United chose their moments to attack more carefully, although Roma created little more than a Juan header which was straight at van Der Sar.

United made the game safe with around twenty minutes left to play with a brilliantly worked goal. Argentine striker Tevez fed Hargreaves on the right and, having delivered several excellent crosses throughout the evening, the England midfielder provided a perfect centre for Tevez to beat Doni with a diving header.

With the tie all but finished, Ferguson used the opportunity to make all three substitutions, including the return of captain Gary Neville after thirteen months out injured, as the Premiership champions look forward to a mouth-watering clash with Barcelona later this month.

Manchester United:
Van Der Sar, Brown, Silvestre, Pique, Ferdinand, Carrick (O’Shea, 74), Hargreaves, Anderson, Giggs (Rooney, 74), Park, Tevez

Roma:
Doni, Panucci, Cassetti (Tonetto, 56), Mexes, Juan, De Rossi, Pizarro (Giuly, 69), Perrotta, Taddei (Esposito, 81), Mancini, Vucinic
Yellow Cards: Perrotta

Goals:
[1-0] Tevez, 70