ROME - Despite putting up a good fight, with a 3-2 win over Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, it wasn’t enough to overturn their 6-2 defeat in the first leg, and the home team go crashing out at the final hurdle, losing 8-5 on aggregate.

  After a disappointing first leg, Roma were perhaps hoping to inspire something along the lines of their come back against Barcelona in 2018, when they lost 4-1 in the first leg, but they had no such luck.

  Thursday night’s match at Stadio Olimpico began with two very good early chances for Roma, but as would become a theme of the night, United were saved by the excellence of their keeper, David De Gea, who made several brilliant, crucial, saves throughout the match. 

  United’s first major chance came in the 19th minute when Edinson Cavani, who has now scored seven goals in six matches, chipped Roma keeper Antonio Mirante, but hit the crossbar. However, the Uruguayan managed to finally smash one past Mirante in the 38th minute, neatly set up by Fred, to stretch United’s lead to five goals, making a come back seem somewhat less likely.

  A period of intense attacking pressure by Roma, with several good chances, finally turned profitable in the 56th minute when Edin Dzeko headed in what seemed like a mis-hit shot by Pedro.

  Just three minutes later Roma managed to snatch the ball from defenders on the edge of the United penalty area, allowing Lorenzo Pellegrini to set up Bryan Cristante to hit it first time past De Gea into the far corner.

  Further De Gea saves kept Roma scrabbling for more, before a beautifully weighted Bruno Fernandes ball into the box caught the Roma defence ball watching and was headed into the back of the net by Cavani to make the score 2-2.

  With the match practically over, Roma did manage to secure a consolation goal in the 82nd minute, through the 19-year-old debutant Nicola Zalewski, smashing the ball through De Gea’s legs - a goal which was, however, put down on the scorecard as an own goal thanks to a heavy deflection off United defender Alex Telles.

  Though winning the match 3-2, the crucial 5-8 score on aggregate was the main takeaway from a disappointing night for Roma.

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