Roma regard United with respect
After eliminating France's finest in the last round, AS Roma turn their attention to the English Premiership's top team when they welcome Manchester United FC to the Stadio Olimpico for their UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg. Roma's victory against Olympique Lyonnais in the first knockout round carried them into the last eight of Europe's élite club competition for the first time since 1984 and should ensure they are not short of confidence going into their first meeting with United.
• Roma reached the last eight in memorable fashion by ending Lyon's 18-match unbeaten home record in the UEFA Champions League. After a goalless draw in Rome, the Giallorossi became the first European visitors to win at the Stade de Gerland since 2002, recording a 2-0 victory through first-half goals from Francesco Totti and Mancini.
• United advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2002/03 by beating LOSC Lille Métropole. Ryan Giggs' late free-kick earned the Premiership side a 1-0 first-leg victory in France before Henrik Larsson ensured a 2-0 aggregate success by heading the only goal of the return. It was the Swedish forward's final appearance at Old Trafford before the end of his three-month loan spell from Helsingborgs IF.
• Roma are unbeaten in nine matches at the Stadio Olimpico in European competition. Their last loss came in December 2004 when Real Madrid CF inflicted a 3-0 defeat – their heaviest on home soil against continental opposition.
• United have won two and lost two of their four matches on the road in this season's UEFA Champions League. In the group stage they beat SL Benfica 1-0 in September – their first away victory in the competition since November 2003 – but lost by the same score at Celtic FC and FC København. Overall Sir Alex Ferguson's side have won just two of their last 12 away games in the competition.
• Roma's eight previous home encounters against English opponents have produced four wins, two draws and two defeats. Last season they defeated Premiership side Middlesbrough FC 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in the UEFA Cup Round of 16, recovering from a Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink goal to win through two Mancini strikes. However, it was not enough to save them from an away-goals defeat in the tie, following their 1-0 first-leg reverse.
• The defeat by Middlesbrough was Roma's third in succession in two-legged contests with English clubs. Their record now reads: won three, lost three. United's record in meetings with Serie A outfits is two wins and five losses, with their two-legged successes coming in the same season – their triumphant 1998/99 UEFA Champions League campaign.
• United have traditionally enjoyed little success on their travels to Italy, losing eight and winning just two of eleven previous matches. It took them eight attempts to record an away win against Italian opposition - although they certainly broke their duck in style by defeating Juventus 3-2 in the 1999 UEFA Champions League semi-final. Their most recent trip was to AC Milan in the 2004/05 first knockout round where a Hernán Crespo goal eliminated them from Europe, United losing 1-0 on the night and 2-0 on aggregate.
• Although not officially considered a home tie, Roma met Liverpool FC at the Stadio Olimpico in the 1984 European Champion Clubs' Cup final. After Roma's Roberto Pruzzo cancelled out Phil Neal's opener for Liverpool, the English club prevailed 4-2 on penalties.
• United have never played at the Stadio Olimpico before but striker Alan Smith has happy memories of the ground after scoring the only goal in former club Leeds United AFC's 1-0 success at S.S. Lazio in the 2000/01 second group stage. Smith also appeared as a substitute in the stadium when Leeds earned a goalless draw en route to defeating Roma 1-0 on aggregate in the 1999/00 UEFA Cup fourth round.
• Roma midfielder Simone Perrotta was born to Italian parents in the Lancashire town of Ashton-under-Lyme, just a half-hour's drive from Old Trafford. He followed in the footsteps of another son of Ashton, England's 1966 FIFA World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst, by winning the world crown with Italy last summer.
• Roma defenders Christian Panucci and Matteo Ferrari have had short spells in the Premiership with Chelsea FC and Everton FC respectively. Panucci spent part of the 2000/01 season on loan at Chelsea and appeared in a 3-3 draw at United in September 2000. Ferrari did not face United during his loan stay at Everton in 2005/06.
• United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar played in Serie A between 1999 and 2001 with Juventus, while Mikaël Silvestre, out for the season with a shoulder injury, spent the 1998/99 campaign at FC Internazionale Milano. His fellow French defender Patrice Evra also played in Italy in the late 1990s for Marsala Calcio and Monza Calcio but never in the top flight.
• The second leg will be played on 10 April in Manchester. The winners will go through to face either AC Milan or FC Bayern München in the semi-finals on 24/25 April and 1/2 May.
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