Giallorossi end Real’s Euro hopes

REAL MADRID’S Champions League hopes were extinguished last night as Roma completed a classic smash-and-grab raid at the Bernabeu to move into the quarter-finals.

Bernd Schuster’s side, 2-1 down from the first leg in the Italian capital, were unable to overcome a Roma side who played for the final 20 minutes with a numerical advantage following the dismissal of defender Pepe.

The Giallorossi took the lead three minutes after Pepe’s red card, Rodrigo Taddei heading home only for Madrid to equalise almost immediately, Raul firing into the bottom corner. The leveller set up a frantic finish but Roma grabbed their second of the evening in injury time when Mirko Vucinic headed home.

After a relatively incident-free first half, Madrid upped the tempo after the break. Two minutes of the restart, the impressive Baptista curling a 25-yard free-kick on to the angle of post and bar.

The Giallorossi almost found a way through four minutes later. Cicinho’s cross broke to Perrotta, whose shot was partially smothered by Casillas with Gabriel Heinze hooking the ball acrobatically away.

Roma struck the woodwork again at the other end soon after.

Max Tonetto escaped down the left and pulled it back for substitute Vucinic, who hammered a first-time effort on to the bar.

The complexion of the match changed with 20 minutes to go when Pepe, who was already on a yellow card, was cautioned for a second time after a crude bodycheck on Vucinic.

It took Roma just three minutes to make the extra man count. Tonetto whipped over a cross from the left and Taddei got in front of Heinze and guided his brilliant header into the right-hand corner.

Madrid hit back within two minutes.

Robinho slipped in Raul who coolly slotted past Doni from 18 yards.

Madrid battered Roma before Vucinic bravely got on the end of Christian Panucci’s free-kick to head past Casillas and put Roma through.

REAL MADRID: Casillas, Salgado (Torres 65), Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze, Diarra (Drenthe 61), Gago, Guti, Julio Baptista (Saldado 85), Raul, Robinho. Subs: Dudek, Soldado, Marcelo, Drenthe, Higuain, Miguel Torres, Balboa.

ROMA: Doni, Cicinho (Panucci 87), Juan, Mexes, Tonetto, Aquilani, De Rossi, Taddei, Perrotta (Pizarro 77), Mancini (Vucinic 65), Totti.

Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).