Published 4/12/2007 3:25:28 AM by Staff from ESPN SoccerNet.com

Man Utd 7-1 Roma: Once-in-a-lifetime night
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.

Valencia 1-2 Chelsea: Last-gasp Essien strike
Chelsea's quest for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies remains on track after a sensational late winner from Michael Essien put the English champions into the semi-finals of the Champions League. Essien, playing his first game since early March because of injury, drove home an angled drive in the 91st minute to put Valencia out in the most dramatic fashion.

Chelsea had looked dead and buried in the first half when Fernando Morientes had given Valencia a 2-1 aggregate lead. But Andriy Shevchenko levelled and then Essien's last-gasp winner put Chelsea in dreamland. The enormity of their task in the Mestalla Stadium had been underlined by the inclusion of midfielder Essien.

The Ghanaian international hurt knee ligaments during their 3-3 draw with Tottenham in the FA Cup quarter-final in early March and had not figured for the club since. But his first contribution of the game was not the one coach Jose Mourinho had anticipated as he was booked for a crude challenge on Morientes. The Blues were forced to defend in numbers in the 11th minute when Ricardo Carvalho gave away a corner. But Didier Drogba headed David Silva's cross to safety.

The English champions enjoyed large chunks of possession after Valencia's spirited opening but could not force the breakthrough they required. They were awarded a free-kick when David Albelda fouled Michael Ballack some 30 yards out, but Andriy Shevchenko's effort was blocked easily.

In the 20th minute, John Terry headed a corner by Frank Lampard wide of the target as Chelsea continued to control proceedings. The Spaniards had been limited to a few counter-attacks and none of those had presented the Blues rearguard with any significant problems.

But all that was to change as Valencia delivered a real hammer blow to Chelsea's hopes of reaching the last four. It was not as though Mourinho's side had not been warned. Morientes, who had missed the opening leg in London because of a shoulder injury, was clearly determined to set up a semi-final meeting with his former club Liverpool.

He was thwarted from giving the home side the lead in the 31st minute when he smashed a cross from David Silva against Petr Cech's right-hand upright. But Morientes prevailed a minute later when he escaped his marker to volley home a superbly-delivered right-wing cross from Valencia full-back Luis Miguel.

The goal put Valencia ahead on aggregate but Chelsea could still save themselves by getting on the scoresheet. However, it was Valencia who almost added a second in the 34th minute when another effort by Morientes was kept out by the legs of Ashley Cole.

It was going to take something special from Chelsea in the second half if they were to preserve their Champions League aspirations. Mourinho made his first change of the night during the interval when Joe Cole replaced Lassana Diarra with Essien switching to right-back and Chelsea to a 4-3-3 formation.

Cole looked lively as Chelsea attempted to make progress down Valencia's right flank but Lampard was sloppy with his control and the home defence cleared the danger. There was now greater urgency about Chelsea's play and when Albelda was booked for a foul on Drogba it presented the Blues with the chance to get back into the game.

The booking would rule Albelda out of the semi-final should Valencia win but their chances were handed a setback in the 52nd minute when they failed to deal with Lampard's free-kick and Shevchenko seized on the loose ball to equalise. Shevchenko's goal put him just three behind Gerd Muller's total of 62 at the top of the European goalscoring charts.

The Ukrainian striker was now spearheading Chelsea's revival but it was his partner Drogba who caused more panic in the Valencia defence when he crossed into the six-yard box. The home defence partially dealt with the problem but the ball ran loose to Essien who found no power or accuracy in his drive and the chance went begging.

Drogba then wasted a great chance to put Chelsea 2-1 in front on the night when he seized on the loose ball on the edge of the penalty area. But the player who has smashed 30 goals for the Blues his season saw his effort saved by Canizares who dived low to his right to keep the Ivorian off the score sheet.

Valencia substitute Miguel Angel Angulo wasted a good chance when he shot wide of the target as the Spanish side pressed for the goal that would give them victory. The Spanish side had Canizares to thank for keeping them in the game in the 84th minute when he produced a sensational one-handed save to keep out a header from Ballack. But Essien put Chelsea into the semi-finals with a glorious angled drive in the 91st minute.

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