AC Milan and Roma will face each other in the Europa League quarter-final over two legs starting with the first leg at San Siro on Thursday, and it is their first meeting in Europe.
As Sky report ahead of this week’s game, Milan and Roma have met each other seven times in cup competitions, and always in the Coppa Italia. The team from the capital have advanced five times and won the trophy in four of those cases, but the only final belongs to Milan.
Among the highlights: an own goal by Van Basten, the penalty saved by Cervone from Papin, the free-kicks by Totti, the fury of Cassano and the double celebration for the Rossoneri in 2003.
In 1979-80, Milan and Roma played in the cup for the first time and Liedholm’s Giallorossi advanced: 4-0 in the first leg and 2-2 in the return. They won the Coppa Italia that season.
Another cup for La Lupa in 1983-84, who faced Milan three times: in the groups (1-1) and in the quarter-finals, where they had another two 1-1s. In extra time at San Siro it was Toninho Cerezo who got his brace and sent Roma ahead (1-2).
Moving to 1990-91, Milan and Roma met in the semi-final of the cup: 0-0 at San Siro and 1-0 at the Olimpico, with Van Basten scoring an own-goal. Once again, the trophy was won by Roma.
Then, in 1992-93, Roma won the first leg of the semi-final clash 2-0 with Muzzi and Caniggia scoring against Capello’s Milan, who had gone unbeaten for eleven months (a few days later they would also lose in Serie A, stopping their unbeaten run at 58 games, a record never equalled).
Eranio halved the deficit in the return leg, then Papin had a penalty to make it 2-0 in the 88th minute to send the match to extra-time: Cervone leapt, saved it and sends Roma to the final (which they would lose to Torino).
The 2002-03 season marks the only final played between Milan and Roma. Finals between the final: the first leg was played on 20 May, eight days before the Champions League final between Carlo Ancelotti’s side and Juvents.
Ancelotti started with some reserves and Roma went ahead through Totti (goal from a free-kick). Then Shevchenko came on and everything changed: Serginho (x2), Ambrosini and the Ukrainian scored, with Milan winning 4-1.
In the second leg at San Siro the stadium was bubbling with the Champions League euphoria, which has just been won with Shevchenko as the winning penalty taker. Totti scored two free-kicks to make it a one-goal game on aggregate, but Rivaldo and Inzaghi netted to seal the cup.
In 2002-03, Milan would win the Scudetto in a head-to-head match against Capello’s Roma. The Rossoneri won the home and away legs in the Coppa Italia quarter-final meeting, 2-1 (with a goal at the Olimpico by former Lazio player Nesta). However, in the semi-final they were eliminated by Lazio.
Finally, the last cup meeting in 2006-07. Out of seven previous Coppa matches, Roma have gone through five times and have subsequently lifted the trophy on four occasions. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, Roma won 3-1 at the Olimpico with Mancini, Perrotta and Pizarro scoring.
