Manchester United produced one of the most stunning European performances of all time at Old Trafford to overwhelm Roma 7-1 and book a Champions League semi-final meeting with AC Milan or Bayern Munich.
In 20 years as United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson has seen and done virtually everything.
But never, in five previous attempts, has he presided over a Champions League knockout stage win from a first-leg defeat. And never, ever, has he seen one of his teams go out against the Italian masters of defence and score seven times.
On one of those once-in-a-lifetime nights when everything goes right, the Red Devils were unbelievably four up at half-time.
By the end they had a truly magnificent seven, with Michael Carrick and Cristiano Ronaldo getting two each, Alan Smith, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra just the one.
Trailing by a single goal from the first leg, the result represented United's biggest European win since they defeated Irish minnows Waterford by the same scoreline on the first stage of their run to the 1968 Final.
It was more than enough to take Ferguson's men into the last four for the first time since 2002, a win all the more remarkable because they were missing at least four automatic members of the Scot's first-choice line-up.
As the hosts headed off down the tunnel at half-time, their joyous supporters cheered themselves hoarse, wondering, perhaps, whether they had just witnessed the most amazing 45 minutes of European football this ground has ever seen.
After surviving a couple of early scares, United hit Roma like a whirlwind. The football they produced simply took the breath away.
The usual protagonists were to the fore as expected, but so too were Darren Fletcher, who probably only got his chance because Paul Scholes was suspended, and Carrick, who scored the first, played a major role in the second and at a stroke swept away the doubters who believed at #18.6million, the summer signing from Tottenham was far too expensive.
Carrick set United on their way in nerveless fashion, collecting Ronaldo's square pass, then advancing on the Roma goal.
Alexander Doni may look back and feel he got his angles wrong but in offering Carrick a clear sight of his top left-hand corner, he committed goalkeeping suicide. The midfielder gleefully dispatched a curling shot to light the blue touch paper on the end of which Roma's Champions League dream was burnt to a frazzle.
The home crowd were still buzzing when Carrick laid an exquisite pass to Rooney, who instantly flicked the ball onto Ryan Giggs. The Welshman's through ball deflected off Cristian Chivu to Smith.
In smashing home his shot, the Yorkshireman was banishing 14 months of injury hell. He was also scoring his first United goal since November 2005 and his first in this competition since netting for Leeds against Deportivo La Coruna at the same stage six years ago.
Roma were still reeling when they were hit by another thunderbolt as Ronaldo released Giggs, whose cross was flicked into the far corner by Rooney.
Having scored his first goal in 18 Champions League games a week ago, the England man suddenly has a taste for it.
So too, Ronaldo, who prior to this onslaught had never scored a goal in the competition but had predicted in a pre-match programme interview his time was coming.
It proved to be a fairly accurate assessment of the situation too as he collected the ball from Giggs two minutes before the break, attacked Chivu with his usual directness and slammed the ball into the bottom corner.
And that, for the first half at least, was that.
The incredulous Roma contingent could not quite believe what had happened. Their supporters, who had not exactly enjoyed the most hospitable Manchester welcome, tried to make the best of it. But their misery was not complete.
Rooney began the second period with a fizzing shot Doni flicked over.
Giggs' corner was half cleared but when Rooney ferried a pass back to the Welshman, he drilled a low cross to the far post where Ronaldo was waiting to bundle it home.
A sixth followed on the hour as Carrick collected Gabriel Heinze's pass and arrowed a shot into the top corner which was even better than his first effort.
Daniele de Rossi pulled one back for Roma but Evra soon cancelled it out to complete the rout.
Man Utd 7-1 Roma: Once-in-a-lifetime night
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exactly and with chelsea and (surely) liverpool all through 2 the semis that shows the epl is the best league in the world... italian leagues gone done hill since van bastan and gullit left!Redstar75 wrote:Love it MUFCBOY, what a breathtaking performance. So much for the feared Italian defence.
If one more snapper head says that Seria A is the best league in the world then theyre a monkey ass.
This result has just proved how great the gulf is in their respective leagues.
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Reggina10Cozza
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Caramelas13
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Reggina10Cozza
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it's the same roma .. it's because we make them looks worseReggina10Cozza wrote:Lazio pumped Roma 5-0 earlier this season. Every team can have these days. How about you actually win the CL before you belittle the Serie A. Roma are a much better side than what they showed this morning but they don't have the depth of other sides but that will come.
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Reggina10Cozza
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Yes caramelas and after the world cup didnt we see true nature of Italian football with the corruption scandals.
So both you and Reginna can safely say that Seria A is the best in the world.. come on guys I know your Italians but seriously. The league does not hold a candle to to the glory days of Van Basten, Maradonna, Gullit and co.. Now back then I would have definately said it was the best.
So both you and Reginna can safely say that Seria A is the best in the world.. come on guys I know your Italians but seriously. The league does not hold a candle to to the glory days of Van Basten, Maradonna, Gullit and co.. Now back then I would have definately said it was the best.
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MilanManiac
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yeah and Seria A is also where players go to learn corruption and how to match fix I believe..MilanManiac wrote:Serie A... It's where the big boyz come to play.
EPL... It's where a little underpaid white english casper guy tries to make a name for himself over all the players a team can buy from overseas with better quality.
who are you kidding?
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MilanManiac
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olympiakos
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u have no idea, just because a team loses heavily doesnt make their whole league a joke, la coruna lost heavily a few years ago, does that make the la liga a joke?ronaldo07 wrote:I've always said that .. seria a is a joke .. it's already gone downhill .. boooo
i dont agree that man utd played brilliantly, in the first 20 minutes they did, after that roma basically let them play coz they knew the tie was finished, utd played well but it was not out of this world as people are saying, the were allowed to play
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Caramelas13
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Redstar75 Posted: 11 Apr 2007 15:42 Post subject:
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Yes caramelas and after the world cup didnt we see true nature of Italian football with the corruption scandals.
So both you and Reginna can safely say that Seria A is the best in the world.. come on guys I know your Italians but seriously. The league does not hold a candle to to the glory days of Van Basten, Maradonna, Gullit and co.. Now back then I would have definately said it was the best.
I never said that Serie A is the best league in the world. All i said was that the other big 2 leagues (English & Spanish) national teams haven't had success for years and years. I am the first to admit that the Serie A is not what it used to be. This year has been embarrassing and a complete shambles. Teams starting on negative points, then some of these teams get their points back, the terrible scenes in Catania, no Juve in Serie A, the state of the stadiums, the empty stadiums etc....
The strength of each nations domestic competition does contribute a lot toward the National teams success, however these days most are leaving their home leagues for other stronger leagues.
England's failure in recent World cups was I believe down to coaching and not the playing squad, on paper their WC 06 squad would have seemed one of the favourites.
Australia, complete write offs at the start of the tournament, were almost coached to a quarter final through Guus Hiddink, only to lose controvertially to Italy.
Australia's A-league can hardly be compared to Seria A or EPL now can it.
So there's my point, the leagues that players play in does have an impact on National team success , but coaching, to me is the biggest difference betwen success and failure at International level..
England's failure in recent World cups was I believe down to coaching and not the playing squad, on paper their WC 06 squad would have seemed one of the favourites.
Australia, complete write offs at the start of the tournament, were almost coached to a quarter final through Guus Hiddink, only to lose controvertially to Italy.
Australia's A-league can hardly be compared to Seria A or EPL now can it.
So there's my point, the leagues that players play in does have an impact on National team success , but coaching, to me is the biggest difference betwen success and failure at International level..
Last edited by Redstar75 on Wed Apr 11, 2007 4:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
u r wrong dude..olympiakos wrote:u have no idea, just because a team loses heavily doesnt make their whole league a joke, la coruna lost heavily a few years ago, does that make the la liga a joke?ronaldo07 wrote:I've always said that .. seria a is a joke .. it's already gone downhill .. boooo
i dont agree that man utd played brilliantly, in the first 20 minutes they did, after that roma basically let them play coz they knew the tie was finished, utd played well but it was not out of this world as people are saying, the were allowed to play
i always said seria a is gone downhill, not only after ths game
their achievement in europe for past few years is a joke
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olympiakos
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huh? didnt milan make the final in 05? didnt milan and juve play the final in 03 i think it was? how can u say its been a joke? its not over yet my friend, ac milan could well win this champions league, what are u going to say then? stop talking crap at look at facts not fantasyronaldo07 wrote:u r wrong dude..olympiakos wrote:u have no idea, just because a team loses heavily doesnt make their whole league a joke, la coruna lost heavily a few years ago, does that make the la liga a joke?ronaldo07 wrote:I've always said that .. seria a is a joke .. it's already gone downhill .. boooo
i dont agree that man utd played brilliantly, in the first 20 minutes they did, after that roma basically let them play coz they knew the tie was finished, utd played well but it was not out of this world as people are saying, the were allowed to play
i always said seria a is gone downhill, not only after ths game
their achievement in europe for past few years is a joke
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El Pibe D'Oro
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ronaldo07 wrote:u r wrong dude..olympiakos wrote:u have no idea, just because a team loses heavily doesnt make their whole league a joke, la coruna lost heavily a few years ago, does that make the la liga a joke?ronaldo07 wrote:I've always said that .. seria a is a joke .. it's already gone downhill .. boooo
i dont agree that man utd played brilliantly, in the first 20 minutes they did, after that roma basically let them play coz they knew the tie was finished, utd played well but it was not out of this world as people are saying, the were allowed to play
i always said seria a is gone downhill, not only after ths game
their achievement in europe for past few years is a joke
Just like the english national team, last as long in a world cup as a hooker in a malaysian brothel.
Scudetto8687 wrote:You have no idea Ronaldo 07.
AC Milan Winners 2003
Quarters 2004
Runner up 2005
Semi 2006.
Not many other teams in Europe with that record over teh last 5 years.
This will be man utd's first semi since 2002. So your argument is flawed.
3 english team in last 4, 3 english team in last 4, 3 english team in last 4 .. BOOOOOOOOOOOO seria a
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TheInterMan
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It was not that long ago that 3 italian teams were in the last 4. Every dog, team, league, fucken snail has its day so get over yourself. Greece won the euro 2004 (and i congratulate them), South Korea and Turkey made the semis in 2002 and so on.
Also, don't forget italian teams have had these big wins in the champions league before too.
Juve beat Olympiacos 7-0 in one game in recent years.
Also, don't forget italian teams have had these big wins in the champions league before too.
Juve beat Olympiacos 7-0 in one game in recent years.
