AC Milan Cruise, Roma Rely on Lukaku Heroics in Europa League Playoff Openers
AC Milan Cruise, Roma Rely on Lukaku Heroics in Europa League Playoff Openers
The Europa League Playoff stage kicked off with contrasting fortunes for Italy's Serie A giants. AC Milan cruised to a comfortable victory, while Roma needed a late Romelu Lukaku equalizer to salvage a draw.
Dominant Display from Milan: AC Milan wasted no time asserting their dominance in their home leg against Red Star Belgrade. Rafael Leão opened the scoring early with a clinical finish, setting the tone for a one-sided affair. Sandro Tonali and Olivier Giroud added further goals before the half-hour mark, putting the Rossoneri firmly in control. The second half was a formality, with Milan comfortably seeing out the 3-0 win, putting them in a strong position heading to the return leg.
Lukaku Rescues Roma: At De Kuip, Roma faced a determined Feyenoord side. The Dutch outfit took the lead through Guus Til's well-taken strike. Roma struggled to create clear-cut chances throughout the game, but their persistence paid off in the dying moments. Substitute Romelu Lukaku rose highest to power home a header from a corner, earning his side a crucial away goal and a 1-1 draw.
Key Takeaways:
AC Milan's clinical finishing and strong start were decisive in their convincing win.
Roma showed resilience to come back from a goal down, with Lukaku's late equalizer proving vital.
Both teams have the advantage of away goals heading into the second legs.
Looking Ahead:
AC Milan are in a commanding position to progress to the next round, while Roma have work to do in the return leg. However, with Lukaku in their ranks, they will be confident of overturning the deficit at the Stadio Olimpico. The second legs of these Europa League Playoff ties promise exciting encounters, with both Italian sides aiming to book their place in the next stage.
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