For the second time in a week Gianluca Mancini was the hero for AS Roma as yet another thumping header from the captain gave the capital club a 1-0 lead, this time away at AC Milan in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final at San Siro stadium. 

AC Milan were completely out of sorts and could barely muster a chance as Roma controlled proceedings, continuing their fine form under Daniele De Rossi.

The centre-back headed home from a corner midway through the first half in an almost-identical goal to the one that clinched victory by the same scoreline against Lazio in Saturday’s Rome derby.

Daniele De Rossi’s side were on top for much of the game, surprising the in-form Rossoneri with a new tactical set-up and dictating play as they ended a nine-match winless run in the fixture in confident fashion.

Mancini’s 18th-minute header from a Paulo Dybala delivery came after Mike Maignan was forced into a sharp save on a deflected Stephan El Shaarawy effort and AC Milan’s only response appeared to be from Tijjani Reijnders, who had four efforts beaten away by Mile Svilar over the course of the game.

However, AC Milan pushed in the final 15 minutes and Svilar pushed a Yacine Adli effort onto the woodwork before Olivier Giroud should have equalised from five yards out, only for the veteran Frenchman’s finish to clip the bar on its way over as the Rossoneri’s eight-match unbeaten streak came to an end.

Roma, who lost last season’s Europa League final on penalties to Sevilla, will now look to see out the tie at the Stadio Olimpico next week as they search for a second European title in three years following their 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League.

Although AS Roma were the better side for much of the game and deserved their win, an alert performance from their ‘keeper – the penalty shoot-out hero against Feyenoord in the playoff round – ensured they took the spoils back to the capital.