Milan and Roma draw
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Published 25/01/2007 at 20:33 GMT
Milan and Roma shared an enthralling 2-2 draw in their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg at the San Siro on Thursday. All the goals came in an exciting first half - the home side went two up through Oliveira and Filippo Inzaghi, but Simone Perotta and Da
FOOTBALL Coppa Italia 2006/2007 Milan Oliveira
Image credit: Imago
Christian Wilhelmson almost brought Roma back on level terms immediately after, but he pulled a shot across the face of Dida's goal to waste a good opportunity.
Filippo Inzaghi tried an audaciously speculative volley as the ball came over his right shoulder before doubling Milan's lead on 23 minutes. The veteran Italian striker
was found at the far post by Marek Jankulovski for the easiest of tap-ins after a sublime ball from Kaka had set the Czech off down the left wing.
The score line was somewhat deceiving - Roma had played their share of attacking football, but it was Milan who had made their chances count.
The visitors did not have to wait long to get back into the game, and on 29 minutes a Christian Panucci run down the right produced a dangerous low cross for Perotta to stroke home from close range.
Mancini had a hat-trick of chances in a matter of minutes, the best being a header when he should have opted for a volley.
Dida then gifted Roma an equaliser five minutes before half time when a seemingly routine - albeit pacy - shot from David Pizarro slipped through his grip.
Chances flowed early in the second half as they had in the first, and Kaka drew a good save from Doni early on when he took the ball on his chest and volleyed from the edge of the area.
The action of the first half failed to permeate into the second, and the pace slowed as did the frequency of opportunities.
Both sides looked for a winner, and Francesco Totti let rip with a rasping drive which Dida's fingertips turned round the post on the hour mark. Mancini headed the resulting corner straight at the Milan stopper.
As the game entered the final quarter of an hour, Wilhelmson took a Francesco Tavano pass on his chest and sent a volley whistling past Dida's post to keep the home side on their toes.
Wilhelmson again called Dida into action five minutes from the end, this time forcing an acrobatic save from the Brazilian with a shot from 25 yards.
Pizarro almost snatched it for Roma in the last minute as his shot squirmed from Dida's grasp in the wet conditions and trickled across the face of goal. Totti could not reach the ball before it rolled out, and the last chance of the game was lost.
The result sets up a mouth-watering second leg at the Stadio Olimpico in six days time.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement