CSKA Moscow 1-2 Roma: Lorenzo Pellegrini nets winner
CSKA Moscow 1-2 Roma: Lorenzo Pellegrini nets winner minutes after Hordur Magnusson sees red for hosts after Kostas Manolas headed home opener early on in Russia
- Roma overcome 10-man CSKA Moscow in their Champions League encounter
- Manolas gave the visitors the perfect start as he headed home a corner early on
- Arnor Sigurdsson levelled things up five minutes after the restart for CSKA
- The hosts were down to 10 men as Hordur Magnusson saw red after half time
- Lorenzo Pellegrini took advantage of the red card by putting Roma back in front
With Edin Dzeko having an off night, Lorenzo Pellegrini stepped up for Roma in the Champions League.
The Italy midfielder scored one goal and set up another as Roma beat 10-man CSKA Moscow 2-1 on Wednesday.
Since losing its opening group game 3-0 to Real Madrid, Roma has won three in a row and only needs one more victory to put qualification for the knockout stages beyond doubt.
Lorenzo Pellegrini (centre) restored Roma’s lead minutes after conceding an equaliser
Pellegrini (right) fires home Roma’s second goal of the game to make it 2-1 in Russia
CSKA midfielder Arnor Sigurdsson (No 17) celebrates his equaliser with team-mates
Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen is unable to keep out Sigurdsson’s shot in the second half
The hosts celebrate their equaliser as the Russian fans applaud their side on Wednesday
Roma defender Kostas Manolas broke the deadlock inside five minutes on Wednesday evening
The Greek defender rose highest to head the ball past CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev
The 27-year-old runs to the bench to celebrate scoring the opening goal for Roma in Russia
The centre back is swarmed by his Roma team-mates after they took an early lead
MATCH FACTS
CSKA MOSCOW: (4-3-2-1) Akinfeev; Fernandes (Schennikov 12), Becao, Magnusson, Nababkin; Akhmetov (Khosonov 76), Bijol, Oblyakov; Vlasic, Chalov; Sigurdsson (Chernov 64)
SUBS NOT USED: Pomazun (GK); Efremov, Nishimura, Zhamaletdinov
GOALS: Sigurdsson (50)
BOOKINGS: Magnusson (30, 57)
SENT OFF: Magnusson (57)
COACH: Viktor Goncharenko
ROMA: (4-2-3-1) Olsen; Santon, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov; Nzonzi, Cristante; Florenzi (Juan Jesus 88), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Zaniolo 82), Kluivert (Under 70); Dzeko
SUBS NOT USED: Mirante (GK); Schick, Marcano, El Shaarawy
GOALS: Manolas (4), Pellegrini (58)
BOOKINGS: None
COACH: Eusebio Di Francesco
REFEREE: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)
VENUE: Luzhniki Stadium
Madrid plays Plzen in Group G’s other game later Wednesday.
The Italian team started fast with Kostas Manolas heading in the fourth-minute opener from Pellegrini’s curling corner.
After beating Madrid at home last month, CSKA’s young team showed a similar tenacious spirit to level the game at 1-1 in the 51st, the 20-year-old Ilzat Akhmetov sending a pass through the Roma defense for 19-year-old Arnor Sigurdsson to hold off two defenders and score with a calm finish.
However, the game changed when CSKA lost its other Icelander, defender Hordur Magnusson, to a second yellow card and Pellegrini pounced for his first Champions League goal.
Hordur Magnusson was sent off in the second half after picking up a yellow card in either half
Magnusson is shown a second yellow card and subsequently sent off by referee Cuneyt Cakir
Three minutes after the sending-off, Pellegrini took advantage of the disarray in CSKA’s defense to beat the offside trap, latching onto Bryan Cristante’s pass before shooting past goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
Dzeko came into the game as the Champions League’s top scorer with five goals but his finishing against CSKA was wayward.
At one point he dodged two CSKA defenders with excellent footwork only to send the ball straight at goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
CSKA is third in the group with four points from four games and hasn’t gone past the group stage since 2011-12.
The hosts were forced into an early change when Mario Fernandes suffered a head injury
The Russian full back is carried off on a stretcher by medical staff early on in the first half
Dzeko (left) is tackled by CSKA defender Kirill Nababkin during their Group G encounter
The CSKA’s fans created an electric atmosphere after setting off flares in the stands
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