Europa League, Milan-Roma 0-1, the Giallorossi get the first round thanks to Mancini
The first round of the Europa League against Milan goes to Roma. De Rossi's team, after seven years, prevailed 1-0 at San Siro in the first leg of the quarter-finals, thanks to a goal from Gianluca Mancini. Same result and same dynamics as the derby and Roma found their second consecutive success. Milan, who won both the first leg and the second leg against Roma in the championship, will have to try to make up for it at the Olimpico if they don't want to leave the scene.
De Rossi has made two changes since the derby he won against Lazio, with Smalling replacing the suspended N'Dicka and Spinazzola replacing Angelino. But more than the men, it is the structure and disposition that surprises Milan. In fact, to block initiatives on the AC Milan left wing as much as possible, the Giallorossi coach where there are Theo Hernandez and Leao, Celik square and El Shaarawy in support, while on the left Pellegrini goes to climb with Dybala ready to vary and support Lukaku. Pioli does not change his setup with Thiaw and Gabbia central defense and with Bennacer, Reijnders in midfield with Pulisic, Loftus Cheek and Leao behind Giroud.
Roma's start shocks the Rossoneri who are unable to make an impact and are subjected to the Giallorossi's very technical dribbling from below. Already in the 4th minute Dybala's first outburst arrives, as he tries a dive after a nice exchange but the Argentine's left-footed shot ends up high. The first opportunity for Milan comes in the 8th minute with Reijnders who shoots with his left foot from the edge but Svilar deflects it. In the 16th minute, a super intervention by Maignan, on El Shaarawy's shot deflected by Gabbia, the French goalkeeper sent it over the crossbar with a flick of the back. In the 17th minute, following the development of the corner, Roma passes: Dybala's corner and Mancini's head, goal to make it 1-0 as in the derby with Lazio. Milan immediately tried to react: in the 20th minute Loftus headed a header, but Lukaku saved on the line twice, clearing the ball. In the 26th minute the same Belgian striker came close to doubling the lead with Gabbia coming close to scoring an own goal in an attempt to beat him into the penalty area. Milan revs up their engine and gets to the shot with Leao with a bicycle kick in the 34th minute and again with Reijnders in the 42nd minute but Svilar deflects again. In the middle, another opportunity for Lukaku: yet another lunge from El Shaarawy, Maignan intervenes with an open hand and the Belgian doesn't reach the ball from two steps. In the 44th minute, the Giallorossi's last chance again with Spinazzola flying into the area after passing Calabria but the ball was deflected into a corner.
No changes for the two teams at the start of the second half with Pioli's team immediately trying to sink but leaving plenty of space forward for Roma. In the 60th minute, however, Pioli puts out a dull Bennacer and brings on Adli, but the Giallorossi are close to doubling their lead in the 61st minute with Pellegrini sending the ball just wide to Maignan's left and in the 63rd minute it was Cristante's turn to try, sending the ball just wide into the opposite corner. In the 68th minute Milan showed up again with Theo Hernandez's header just wide. Milan often tries from the edge and in the 71st minute the challenge between Reijnders and Svilar is renewed, once again won by the Giallorossi goalkeeper. In the 75th minute Milan were close to equalizing: Adli tried a mocking right-footed shot but Svilar made a diving touch and sent it into the corner with the help of the crossbar. Roma lowers themselves and the hosts raise the pace. Pioli changes the attack, Pulisic out and Leao, very tired, inserts Okafor and Chukwueze for the final assault. De Rossi responds with Abraham in place of Dybala, to lift the team. In the 87th minute a sensational opportunity for Milan: slalom into the area on the back line by Chukwueze, ball to Giroud who sends it onto the crossbar.
Milan also asked for a late penalty for a handball by Abraham, but referee Turpin lets it continue. It ends 1-0 for Roma and everything is sent back to the Olimpico.
Milan, Pioli: “We are not very courageous, but their goal is irregular and a penalty is missing”
“We had some difficulties in the first half. We had to make clearer and braver choices without the ball – explained Milan coach Stefano Pioli after the defeat against Roma at San Siro in the quarter-final first leg of the Europa League –. They created a couple of situations, but then we conceded a goal from a corner, where they were better and smarter than us.”
“In the second half I liked the team and we played the game, perhaps not with the usual clarity and quality – added the Rossoneri coach -. There was a draw. Now there is still the return leg and the team can do more and better.” Then on the doubtful episodes: “The corner from which Mancini scored perhaps arose from an offside by Lukaku and in the final part Abraham hit it with his hand in the area, not with his head . Unfortunately we are not very lucky with this referee…”. “Overturning the result will not be easy. Only strong teams can do it. But if any team can do it, it's ours.”
On the tactical moves made by De Rossi's Roma, Stefano Pioli explains: “We didn't expect El Shaarawy on the right, but nothing has changed. They did the defensive phase on the right instead of the left. They closed more on Theo and Rafa's side, but we still created situations – he continued – We had opportunities to equalize, but we weren't precise and we didn't succeed.” What did Milan miss? “We wanted to be aggressive on Roma's central defenders with the attackers and we knew that Dybala would attack us behind the midfielders – added Pioli -. We didn't break the mark on Lukaku and we danced in the middle. We went high, but we weren't aggressive “. In the second half “we took risks and I liked the team. We lacked the energy to make up for the deficit”.
Rafael Leo is decidedly subdued, the Milan coach says about the Portuguese's performance: “It doesn't worry me. In fact, now when I return I expect pride and the desire to demonstrate that we are a great team.” “I'm not saying that we have to achieve a feat, but we have to play with more intensity and clarity in Rome – he added -. We played a decent match, not an excellent one. And at this level we need an excellent match. But we have the qualities to do it next Thursday”. “Are the changes too late? Pulisic and Leao are players you can trust and from whom you can always expect an important play even on a less than brilliant evening”
Rome, De Rossi: “I liked everything about the team, I saw Lukaku at his best”
A lucid, concrete and determined Roma from the first to the last minute in the first leg match of the Europa League quarter-finals. And his coach Daniele De Rossi explains at the end of the match: “The management of the ball was very good for 65-70 minutes. We held the ball well and then hurt him. Today we saw Lukaku's best performance since I've been here, he made plays and let us out. From him I wanted this.” Daniele De Rossi thus begins the analysis of Roma's performance, victorious at San Siro against Milan in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals. In Lecce we didn't manage possession well, in the derby we dribbled well and today even more so. In some cases when the team is stronger you have to keep the ball more, in fact the attackers can leave space behind you and therefore you have to have a steady foot, it shouldn't tremble.”
“I liked everything about the team – continued the Giallorossi coach De Rossi – The courage to hold the ball, the strength to defend. Against a strong team like Milan you have to know how to do everything, including defending with a provincial attitude. After Lecce I said that I would not accept any steps backwards in terms of attitude. If we see something wrong in Udine it means that we still have a long way to go, because games like this need to be played even against the smaller teams and after Lecce I was a bit upset.”
The move to place El Shaarawy on the right paid off. “Milan have champions everywhere, but obviously the left chain led them to dominate and I thought it was right to do a little more – De Rossi said again – Coming after Theo would have been too much for Cristante but he took Reijnders who is another great player. Sometimes players also have mental fixations, I spoke with El Shaarawy who was super positive and also did very well on the right. Players with confidence do well on the pitch, it's all very connected. Me before the match, I told him I was calm because I saw the personality and desire they were showing.”
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