Milan 0-1 Roma: Mancini header seals win as Roma edge out Milan
Gianluca Mancini was Roma’s match-winning hero for the second time in a matter of days as the visitors survived a late surge to claim a 1-0 Europa League quarter-final first leg win against AC Milan at San Siro.
The centre-back headed home from a corner midway through the first half in an almost identical goal to the one that clinched victory by the same scoreline against Lazio in Saturday’s Rome Derby.
Daniele De Rossi’s side were on top for much of the game, surprising the in-form Rossoneri with a new tactical set-up and dictating play as they ended a nine-match winless run in the fixture in confident fashion.
Mancini’s 18th-minute header from a Paulo Dybala delivery came after Mike Maignan was forced into a sharp save on a deflected Stephan El Shaarawy effort, and Milan’s only response appeared to be from Tijjani Reijnders, who had four efforts beaten away by Mile Svilar over the course of the game.
However, Milan pushed in the final 15 minutes and Olivier Giroud should have equalised from five yards out in the closing stages, but the veteran Frenchman’s finish clipped the bar on its way over as the Rossoneri’s eight-match unbeaten streak came to an end.
Roma, who lost last season’s Europa League final on penalties to Sevilla, will now look to see out the tie at the Stadio Olimpico next week as they search for a second European title in three years following their 2021/22 Conference League triumph.
Milan XI: Giroud, Maignan, Loftus-Cheek, Calabria, Bennacer, Theo, Pulisic, Gabbia, Tijjani Reijnders, Leao, Malick Thiaw
Subs: Kjaer, Florenzi, Sportiello, Jovic, Samuel Chukwueze, Yacine Adli, Noah Okafor, Yunus Musah, Filippo Terracciano, Lapo Nava, Davide Bartesaghi, Kevin Zeroli
Roma XI: El Shaarawy, Smalling, Lukaku, Paredes,
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