Roma keeps Cup hopes alive
Source: Agencies |
February 6, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
AS Roma stretched its unbeaten streak to 18 games with a 2-0 win over Udinese in the opening leg of the Italian Cup semifinals on Thursday.
Mirko Vucinic opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Philippe Mexes doubled the lead in the 40th.
Inter Milan beat Fiorentina in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
The return legs are on April 14.
Roma has not lost since getting beaten 1-2 by Udinese in the Serie A on October 28, compiling 15 wins and three draws in all competitions. Udinese eliminated AC Milan in the quarterfinals last week but the northern club was struggling in the Serie A, only one point clear of the relegation zone.
"It's key that we scored two goals because there are two months before the return leg and I'm sure they will improve by then," Roma coach Claudio Ranieri said after the match.
Roma, which was tied for second in the league with Milan, took the lead when Vucinic collected a 50-meter pass from Daniele De Rossi, controlled the ball expertly and found the target with a precise shot after beating the offside trap.
Mexes scored with a header from point-blank range following a cross from David Pizarro. Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino picked up a yellow card for a late, sliding tackle on Rodrigo Taddei in the 21st and will miss the return leg.
In Spain, Diego Forlan scored twice from the penalty spot to help Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 first-leg victory at home to Racing Santander in their Copa del Rey semifinal.
Simao Sabrosa and Jose Antonio Reyes had given the nine-time Cup winners a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead before Uruguay striker Forlan crowned a convincing win with two spot kicks in the second half.
On Wednesday, the 2007 winners Sevilla made the most of home advantage to establish a 2-0 first-leg lead over Getafe.
Atletico had already hit the post at a corner when Portugal winger Simao lashed home a spectacular volley from a Sergio Aguero cross in the ninth minute.
Racing had been unbeaten since the turn of the year but had struggled to create much danger and just before the break it failed to deal with Simao's low cross allowing Reyes to stroke home the second.
Mirko Vucinic opened the scoring in the 12th minute and Philippe Mexes doubled the lead in the 40th.
Inter Milan beat Fiorentina in the other semifinal on Wednesday.
The return legs are on April 14.
Roma has not lost since getting beaten 1-2 by Udinese in the Serie A on October 28, compiling 15 wins and three draws in all competitions. Udinese eliminated AC Milan in the quarterfinals last week but the northern club was struggling in the Serie A, only one point clear of the relegation zone.
"It's key that we scored two goals because there are two months before the return leg and I'm sure they will improve by then," Roma coach Claudio Ranieri said after the match.
Roma, which was tied for second in the league with Milan, took the lead when Vucinic collected a 50-meter pass from Daniele De Rossi, controlled the ball expertly and found the target with a precise shot after beating the offside trap.
Mexes scored with a header from point-blank range following a cross from David Pizarro. Udinese midfielder Gaetano D'Agostino picked up a yellow card for a late, sliding tackle on Rodrigo Taddei in the 21st and will miss the return leg.
In Spain, Diego Forlan scored twice from the penalty spot to help Atletico Madrid to a 4-0 first-leg victory at home to Racing Santander in their Copa del Rey semifinal.
Simao Sabrosa and Jose Antonio Reyes had given the nine-time Cup winners a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead before Uruguay striker Forlan crowned a convincing win with two spot kicks in the second half.
On Wednesday, the 2007 winners Sevilla made the most of home advantage to establish a 2-0 first-leg lead over Getafe.
Atletico had already hit the post at a corner when Portugal winger Simao lashed home a spectacular volley from a Sergio Aguero cross in the ninth minute.
Racing had been unbeaten since the turn of the year but had struggled to create much danger and just before the break it failed to deal with Simao's low cross allowing Reyes to stroke home the second.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
