An inspired double substitution from AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti propelled the Champions League quarter-finalists to a vital 2-1 victory over AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.
Spalletti sent on Mirko Vucinic and Ludovic Giuly just past the hour mark with his team trailing 1-0 and both scored to seal three points for the hosts.
It means Roma closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan to just three points while Milan, who dominated large parts of the match, remain in fifth spot.
PHOTO: AFP
After a tepid first half Milan took total command at the start of the second period with Seedorf playing in Kaka only for Doni to save.
Doni was then down smartly to stop a Seedorf shot at the near post but Roma finally cracked on 56 minutes.
Andrea Pirlo released Massimo Oddo down the right and he clipped the ball into the box for Kaka to volley home left footed.
Spalletti sent on Vucinic and Giuly and the move paid dividends as Giuly arrived in the right place at the right time on 78 minutes to volley home a chip from Perrotta after the Milan defense were all drawn to the ball, leaving Giuly in acres of space at the back post.
Three minutes later and Vucinic latched onto a long ball to fire low past goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac.
In the day's other match Udinese drew at 2-2 home with Lazio.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS