Manchester United Lost In Rome, But Progressed With A Comfortable Aggregate Win
Manchester United set up a Europa League final date with Villarreal as they advanced from their semi-final with Roma despite a 3-2 loss at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday.
The damage was done in the first leg at Old Trafford, where the Premier League side ran out 6-2 winners, allowing them to progress with an 8-5 aggregate win.
Edinson Cavani opened the scoring on the night for the visitors, having already given the Italians no end of problems in the first leg, and it looked to be a case of damage limitation for Roma then.
But they fought back after half time. Edin Dzeko tapped in before Bryan Cristante gave them the lead on the night, with both goals separated by just three minutes, and things got tense for a few minutes then.
The hosts had two chances in quick succession and David De Gea was both reactive and fortunate to deny Pedro, Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from very close range. They pushed, but couldn’t beat the Spaniard for a third time despite United looking shaken.
Cavani killed off any hope Roma had eight minutes after Cristante’s goal, though, heading in after wandering into the box unmarked.
Nineteen-year-old Nicola Zalewski scored a late consolation for the hosts, sending a deflected volley in for his first goal for the club.
