Mr.Spock
04-10-07, 04:04 PM
A scintillating display by Manchester United saw them tear Roma apart to reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Michael Carrick curled in United's opener and Alan Smith fired home before Wayne Rooney added their third of the night, finishing off a superb move.
Cristiano Ronaldo fired into the bottom corner and slid home a Ryan Giggs cross before Carrick smashed home a sixth.
Roma replied through Daniele De Rossi before Patrice Evra's low shot rounded off United's amazing 8-3 aggregate win.
There have been many memorable performances at Old Trafford down the years but few can compare to the display Sir Alex Ferguson's men put on here.
The scuffles outside the ground before kick-off were quickly forgotten once the game got underway, with United looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
Both sides showed attacking intentions in the opening minutes with Roma's Francesco Totti going closest with a fierce shot that fizzed past Edwin van der Sar's right-hand post.
But it was United who grabbed control of the tie with three goals in eight first-half minutes.
Carrick opened the scoring on 11 minutes when he picked up the ball from Ronaldo and bent the ball past a statuesque Doni.
Six minutes later it was 2-0 when Gabriel Heinze and Giggs combined before the Welshman flighted a perfect pass into the path of Smith, who finished with aplomb.
Rooney got in on the act soon after, timing his run superbly to slot home Giggs' low cross after the Italian side had been completely torn apart down the right flank.
A shell-shocked Roma side tried to respond and did go close when Phillipe Mexes headed a David Pizarro's free-kick wide.
But the visitors' attempts to find a way back into the game only succeeded in leaving themselves more vulnerable to United's pacey attack.
Carrick went close when he headed a Giggs corner at Doni but could not react quickly enough when the ball bounced straight back at him.
Ronaldo did make it 4-0 before half-time with a precise finish into the bottom corner after the Roma defence had made the mistake of inviting him to shoot.
United were quite simply superb, and they did not let up after the break either.
Ronaldo, who was in sublime form, slid home a low Giggs' cross before Carrick's piledriver made it 6-0 on the hour mark.
Roma did get one goal back through de Rossi's neat finish on the turn but the game was long since up for the Italian side.
It was exhibition stuff for Ferguson's side by the end and they got the final word they richly deserved when Evra's low shot beat Doni.
Like United's first six goals it was a fine finish, and completed a magnificent victory for United, who will play either AC Milan or Bayern Munich in the last-four.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6534975.stm
Michael Carrick curled in United's opener and Alan Smith fired home before Wayne Rooney added their third of the night, finishing off a superb move.
Cristiano Ronaldo fired into the bottom corner and slid home a Ryan Giggs cross before Carrick smashed home a sixth.
Roma replied through Daniele De Rossi before Patrice Evra's low shot rounded off United's amazing 8-3 aggregate win.
There have been many memorable performances at Old Trafford down the years but few can compare to the display Sir Alex Ferguson's men put on here.
The scuffles outside the ground before kick-off were quickly forgotten once the game got underway, with United looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg.
Both sides showed attacking intentions in the opening minutes with Roma's Francesco Totti going closest with a fierce shot that fizzed past Edwin van der Sar's right-hand post.
But it was United who grabbed control of the tie with three goals in eight first-half minutes.
Carrick opened the scoring on 11 minutes when he picked up the ball from Ronaldo and bent the ball past a statuesque Doni.
Six minutes later it was 2-0 when Gabriel Heinze and Giggs combined before the Welshman flighted a perfect pass into the path of Smith, who finished with aplomb.
Rooney got in on the act soon after, timing his run superbly to slot home Giggs' low cross after the Italian side had been completely torn apart down the right flank.
A shell-shocked Roma side tried to respond and did go close when Phillipe Mexes headed a David Pizarro's free-kick wide.
But the visitors' attempts to find a way back into the game only succeeded in leaving themselves more vulnerable to United's pacey attack.
Carrick went close when he headed a Giggs corner at Doni but could not react quickly enough when the ball bounced straight back at him.
Ronaldo did make it 4-0 before half-time with a precise finish into the bottom corner after the Roma defence had made the mistake of inviting him to shoot.
United were quite simply superb, and they did not let up after the break either.
Ronaldo, who was in sublime form, slid home a low Giggs' cross before Carrick's piledriver made it 6-0 on the hour mark.
Roma did get one goal back through de Rossi's neat finish on the turn but the game was long since up for the Italian side.
It was exhibition stuff for Ferguson's side by the end and they got the final word they richly deserved when Evra's low shot beat Doni.
Like United's first six goals it was a fine finish, and completed a magnificent victory for United, who will play either AC Milan or Bayern Munich in the last-four.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6534975.stm