Europa League, Milan-Roma 0-1: Mancini strikes again. The first leg of the quarterfinals goes to the Giallorossi

Milan 11 April 2024 – The Capital derby, like the Italian derby in Europe. There Rome wins the first chapter of the quarterfinals of Europa League against Milan for 0-1 and just like in the city match, it was a header that decided it Mancini. The Capitoline players proved to be more concrete and decisive, compared to the wasteful Rossoneri, in particular with Giroud, who missed the sensational equalizer two minutes from the end. However, nothing has been decided yet, in a week the second chapter of the saga will take place, the appointment will be at the Olimpico.

First half

Pioli relies on his 4-2-3-1 to undermine in the match at San Siro, setting up Thiaw e Cage in the center of defense in front of maignan, with the two untouchables on the outside: Calabria e Hernandez. Bennacer and Reijnders are the two midfielders while Loftus Cheek is the pin in three-quarters with Pulisic e Lion behind the lone striker Giroud. The Rossi instead he focuses on his 4-3-3 with the surprise Smalling in the center next to Mancini, with Steel e Spinazzola on the bands and Silker between the posts. The three untouchables act in midfield Crystalline, Paredes e Pellegrini. Forward Lukaku is supported by El Shaarawy e Dybala.

The match proves to be entertaining right from the start: the stakes are high, but the two teams don't seem to feel either the weight of the match, or the influence of the deafening fans at San Siro. On the first skirmishes there Rome seems to be able to take control of the match, but it is the home team who lands the first dangerous attempt. He tries Reinders in the 9th minute of the game, with a diagonal long-range attempt, favored by the back support of Loftus Cheek: it relaxes Silker to deflect the Dutchman's attempt into a throw-in.

However, the Romans were not frightened by the Rossoneri's attempt and insisted with their very vertical football, trying to exploit the talent of their men in attack. At 16' El Shaarawy who loves maignan to a major intervention after taking up the suggestion of Lukaku from the right towards the heart of the penalty area: Pharaoh's attempt is deflected by Cage, but the response of the transalpine goalkeeper is excellent in deflecting the ball into a corner. Too bad about the Milan, because the visitors' advantage comes from the developments of the shot from the flag. Dybala crosses to return to the heart of the last sixteen meters for the Rossoneri, where Mancini he is free to head the ball and put Roma's lead at the far post. The block was excellent on this occasion Lukaku to free the Giallorossi centre-back, who also celebrated at San Siro, after scoring the winning goal in the derby. At 17' it was 0-1 in favor of Roma.

Il Milan he doesn't get upset and after taking the disadvantage he immediately tries to find an equalizer. It's time to Giroud to respond to the chapters. The French striker has a double opportunity on his mind to rebalance the result in the 21st minute, but he thinks about it anyway Lukaku, in defensive retreat for the Rossoneri corner, to repel both attempts of the AC Milan rival. The same Lukaku six minutes later on the other side of the game, he hits the wall of Cage, on the excellent cross from the right of El Shaarawy.

The match is exciting, with a high pace and many quick reversals, for a challenge worthy of the stakes: a place in the top 4 of this season Europa League. This exasperated competitive spirit obviously does not prevent the protagonists on the pitch from earning some yellow cards. At 33' it is Pulisic the first to end up in Turpin's villains' notebook, while in the 39th minute he is Crystalline to earn the warning: a heavy sanction because the midfielder is banned and will therefore miss the match at the Olimpico. A few moments before the card for the Roma midfielder however El Shaarawy e Lukaku they had come close to doubling the score for the guests when Pharaoh's diagonal shot was blocked by Maignan, while the Belgian's tap-in didn't arrive for a matter of centimetres.

In the last five minutes plus recovery of the first half he thinks about it again Reinders to keep on your toes Silker, with a right-footed shot from the poisonous edge, on which the Serbian goalkeeper spreads well Rome. On the other side I am Spinazzola e Dybala to fliratre with the doubling, but the attempts of both are respectively deflected and rejected by the opposing rearguard. So after 3 minutes of added time Turpin he whistles twice and sends the teams to rest with the result 0-1 in favor of the Giallorossi, thanks to Mancini's goal.

Second half

No changes at half-time, the match resumes with the same twenty-two protagonists who started the match. Compared to the first half, however, the pace is slower. There Rome it closes well and tries to restart, but not finding the same precision as the first forty-five minutes. On the other hand, however, the Milan he is forced to attack the Giallorossi with their defense deployed, but finds very little space to hurt Silker. He tries Reinders from the edge, but compared to the two attempts in the first half, this time it doesn't cause any problems Silker.

Pioli feels his team's difficulty in breaking through the opponent's rearguard and tries to rely on the ideas of Judicial, which detects an off Bennacer. The Rome but immediately after the change he tries to make a comeback with the restarts and Pellegrini before and Crystalline then they try to worry maignan, but the diagonals of both midfielders both end wide on their respective far post. Meanwhile in the 63rd minute, or three minutes after he entered the field, the same Judicial ends up in the villains' notebook Turpin, after hitting Dybala with a stomp.

As the minutes passed, however, the Milan he gains more and more meters of the pitch and the opportunities begin to lean heavily towards the Rossoneri's side of the pitch. At 73' it is still Reinders to test the reflexes of Silker, with the fourth attempt and fourth rejection by the opposing goalkeeper, in this match within the match. However, it's not just the Dutchman who puts the opposing goalkeeper in difficulty. At 75' Judicial engages Roma's number 99 with a very poisonous cross shot, where Silker he leans on a corner kick, also hitting the crossbar. Lucky her Rome on the occasion, which he then manages to free thanks to two AC Milan attempts rejected by Crystalline e Smalling.

This brings us to the last ten of the game, with three changes to open this final chapter of the match. In the Milan enter Chukwueze e Okaywhile they are Pulisic e Lion to leave the field; The Rossi responds by relying on Tammy Abraham in place of Paulo Dybala. The hosts believe it and the away defense is creaking more and more. At 87' it is Chukwueze to become the protagonist and bring his teammates to within a few centimeters of an equalizer. In fact, the Nigerian goes away with a spectacular dribble from the short right side of the penalty area. The former Villareal player passes all the defenders then from the back line he puts it at the near post for Giroud, but the transalpine devours the equalizer, with a right-footed shot that only hits the top of the crossbar.

In the 90th minute the last round of changes with the entrances in the Rome di Aouar, bove e Llorente for Pellegrini, Paredes e Lukaku, while the Milan protests over a suspected intervention with the hand of Abraham, all good though Turpin and the Var room. The last moments of the game also saw the Capitoline players lighten the pressure, thus bringing home the final success. In the 95th minute, in fact, the triple whistle arrives from the transalpine referee, who formalizes the Capitoline success in Milan: at San Siro it ends 0-1 in favor of the Giallorossi, with the same signature as in the derby on Saturday, that of Gianluca Mancini.