Roma secured their spot in the Europa League semi-finals by defeating Serie A rivals AC Milan with a 3-1 aggregate score in the quarter-finals.
Despite a 14-point difference in Serie A standings—Milan in second and Roma in fifth—Roma held a 1-0 lead from the first leg at San Siro.
Facing adversity after Zeki Celik’s first-half dismissal, Daniele de Rossi’s squad triumphed 2-1 in front of their home crowd.
Although Roma has never claimed the Europa League title, they reached the final twice, including last season’s loss to Sevilla.
In the semi-finals, De Rossi’s team will meet Bayer Leverkusen, who overcame West Ham United to advance.
The match’s opening opportunity swiftly turned into a goal, with Gianluca Mancini replicating his first-leg performance by netting in the 12th minute. After Lorenzo Pellegrini’s strike rebounded off the woodwork, the centre-back tapped in from close range.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek rattled the crossbar in the 20th minute, nearing an equalizer for Milan. However, Roma extended their lead just two minutes later as Paulo Dybala curled a superb shot into the far corner, capitalizing on Romelu Lukaku’s clever play.
Milan received a glimmer of hope in the 31st minute when Zeki Celik was sent off for a reckless challenge on Rafael Leao, who was on a promising run down the left flank.
Despite Milan’s efforts with the one-man advantage, Roma’s solid defense held firm. Christian Pulisic had a half-chance early in the second half, but his attempt sailed over the Roma crossbar.
The hosts maintained their threat on the counter, as Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan pulled off a crucial save just before the hour mark to deny a low strike from Leonardo Spinazzola.
Roma’s Tammy Abraham was then denied from close range, as Milan’s commitment to attacking left gaps at the back.
Milan found a glimmer of hope in the 85th minute when Matteo Gabbia headed in a cross from Leao, but it proved too little, too late.
A late red card for Theo Hernandez was overturned after a VAR review, but Milan’s 3-1 aggregate loss ended their Europa League journey.
Now, Milan shifts focus to a crucial Serie A clash against Inter Milan on Monday, where a loss would see their rivals clinch the title with five games remaining.
Meanwhile, Roma faces Bologna on Monday, aiming to extend their unbeaten run in Serie A to eight matches.
