AS Roma 3-2 Manchester United: 5 talking points as Red Devils progress to the final | UEFA Europa League 2020-21
An entertaining fixture at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday ended with AS Roma securing a 3-2 victory over Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final tie.
The Red Devils held an overwhelming advantage in the tie by virtue of their 6-2 first-leg victory. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still named a strong line-up, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba all starting.
However, it was AS Roma who began the game on the front foot and forced David de Gea into a point-blank save from Gianluca Mancini in the third minute.
The hosts continued to ask all the questions in the early stages, but Manchester United slowly gained a foothold in the game and had two chances which they failed to take.
First, Edinson Cavani's audacious lob inside the box only rattled the bar, while he also shot straight at Antonio Mirante when he should undoubtedly have done better.
Cavani made amends for his earlier misses when he was played through by Fred in the 39th minute. The Uruguay international made no mistake, with his bullet shot from 20 yards out giving the Roma goalkeeper no chance.
AS Roma started the second half in the same way that they started the first. They deservedly drew level when Edin Dzeko headed into an empty net in the 57th minute after Pedro's mishit shot had deflected into his path.
They went ahead just three minutes later, with Bryan Crisante sending an unstoppable piledriver into the top corner after Fred had been dispossessed off the ball.
This prompted a spell of pressure from the hosts as Manchester United were ruffled and struggled to clear their lines. However, the impressive David de Gea pulled off a series of fine saves to maintain his side's one-goal deficit.
The visitors drew level in the 68th minute when Cavani guided an expert header into the post from Bruno Fernandes' spectacular cross.
Debutant Nicola Zalewski came off the bench and played a key role in Roma getting the winner. The 19-year-old's shot at goal deflected off Alex Telles and between De Gea's legs to put the hosts ahead once again.
Despite the defeat, Manchester United progressed to the final with an 8-5 aggregate victory. They will clash with Villarreal in the final that is set to be played in Poland on 26 May.
Here are five talking points from the thrilling fixture.
#5 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer breaks his final hoodoo with Manchester United
Manchester United have unarguably taken giant strides under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, a major cause of consternation among fans has been the club's tendency to falter when it matters most. There has always been a feeling that the Red Devils took two steps forward and one step back.
The biggest indicator of the club's stagnation was the fact that they had made it to four semi-finals under the management of Solskjaer in a year but failed to progress to any finals.
For all of the gains made by the club, winning a trophy is important to validate the work done, more so at a club the size of Manchester United.
This victory over Roma gives the Red Devils a perfect shot at their first trophy under Solskjaer. A win over Villarreal in the final would also validate the progress they made in the last three years.
#4 AS Roma win the battle but lose the war
In the buildup to the first leg, fans of AS Roma were incensed that Solskajer claimed to "not know" anything about the Italians. They subsequently charged their players to make sure that the Old Trafford outfit got to know them.
In the grand scheme of things, Solskjaer's words were taken out of context, and the Manchester United manager went to great lengths to explain what he meant.
As it happened, the first leg started with Roma in the driving seat, but a second-half blitz by Manchester United put the tie beyond their reach.
The Italians came into the second leg with next to no chance of progressing. However, they would have been buoyed by recent memories of them overturning a 4-1 defeat to Barcelona on the same ground.
They started bright enough and fashioned several chances that would have given them a more comfortable aggregate scoreline. However, an inspired David de Gea kept them at bay for most of the game.
Nevertheless, Roma's performance on the night was indicative of the quality that abounded in the team and went a long way in correcting the poor impression they gave in the first leg.