Roma-Milan 1-1
GOALS: 17′ st De Winter, 29′ st Pellegrini (rig).
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar 6; Mancini 6, Ndicka 5.5, Ghilardi 7; Celik 6.5, Cristante 6.5, Konè 6.5 (13′ st Pisilli 6), Wesley 6.5; Dybala 6 (24′ st Pellegrini 7), Soulè 6 (40′ st Venturino sv); Malen 5.5 (24′ st Vaz 6). On the bench: Vasquez, Gollini, El Aynaoui, Ferguson, Tsimikas, Ziolkowski, Lulli. Coach: Gasperini 6.5.
MILAN (3-5-2): Maignan 7; Tomori 6, Gabbia 6, De Winter 7; Saelemaekers 5 (1′ st Athekame 6), Ricci 6 (34′ st Loftus-Cheek 6), Modric 6.5, Rabiot 6, Bartesaghi 6.5; Nkunku 5.5 (23′ st Pulisic 6), Leao 5.5 (23′ st Fullkrug 6). On the bench: Terracciano, Torriani, Estupinàn, Fofana, Odogu, Jashari, Pavlovic. Coach: Allegri 6.
REFEREE: Colombo of Como 6.
NOTES: rainy evening, playing field in good condition. Attendance: 63,582. Booked: Rabiot, Athekame, Modric, Maignan. Corners: 5-3 for Roma. Recovery: 1′; 4′.
Roma finds their first draw of the season, Milan extends their unbeaten streak to 21, the longest among the top five leagues in Europe. A big match ends 1-1 at the Olimpico which does not upset the top levels of the standings: Allegri rises to 47 points, loses ground compared to leaders Inter (-5), but extends to +4 over Napoli, defeated in Turin and caught up by Gasperini’s men at 43 points. In the end it is the Giallorossi who emerge with the most regrets, despite De Winter’s goal arriving before the equalizer from Pellegrini’s penalty. As in the first leg, in fact, Mike Maignan is the great protagonist. Roma’s most dangerous man is Malen, lethal on his debut against Torino and more wasteful than usual today. After a few moments the former Aston Villa player wedges himself into the area but chokes too much with his left foot, making it easier for the Rossoneri goalkeeper to catch it. In the 8th minute Kone worries the Frenchman, but even in this case the intervention is easy. The most important opportunity of the first half occurred in the 19th minute: Ndicka in an offensive projection serves Malen who volleys wide from an extremely favorable position. The Dutchman wastes again in the 33rd minute, this time from a tight angle, kicking at the body of Maignan, who at the end of the first half with a super reflex blocks the way for a right-footed shot from Celik.
In short, after the penalty saved in the first leg against Dybala, the AC Milan goalkeeper makes another impression. At the start of the second half Milan – who replaced the much booed Saelemaekers with Athekame at half-time – immediately had a chance. Bartesaghi runs down the wing and catches Rabiot in the centre, whose diagonal shot is deflected into the corner by Svilar. At the hour mark Roma lost Kone, who injured his flexor after a run on Rabiot and was replaced by Pisilli, fresh from the European double against Stuttgart. Roma lowered the pace and conceded a goal in the 62nd minute. Following a corner kicked by Ndicka, it was De Winter who shot higher than anyone and beat Svilar. In the 65th minute Gasperini and Allegri change the attack. Inside Vaz and Pellegrini (instead of Malen and Dybala) on one side. Space for Pulisic and Fullkrug (in place of Nkunku and Leao) on the other. Roma equalized with their former captain.
Celik wins a penalty by kicking Bartesaghi’s arm. It seems like a deja vu from the first leg, but this time Pellegrini – unlike Dybala at San Siro – makes no mistakes against Maignan. In the end there is also room for the new Roma player Venturino, but the result no longer changes. The thirty-first official match between Gasperini and Allegri ends in a draw.