News

Thursday, 08 May 2008

MILAN, May 8 (Reuters) - Holders AS Roma will meet Inter Milan in the Italian Cup final for the fourth consecutive season after drawing 1-1 at Catania on Thursday to progress 2-1 on aggregate.

Serie A leaders Inter and second-placed Roma are assured of a Champions League place next season so Italy’s third UEFA Cup spot will now go to the seventh-placed team in the league.

AC Milan, Fiorentina, Udinese and Sampdoria, one of whom will go into the Champions League qualifiers, are therefore guaranteed a UEFA Cup spot because eighth-placed Genoa cannot overhaul them with two games left.
Midfielder Alberto Aquilani converted a penalty on 27 minutes after Mirko Vucinic was fouled to put Roma in full command of the semi-final, second leg following their 1-0 win in last month’s first leg.

Cristian Silvestri headed in a free kick unmarked for the hosts two minutes later and the Sicilians could have had a penalty when Roma goalkeeper Gianluca Curci pushed Marco Biagianti, but generally the visitors controlled the game.
The final will be played in Rome on May 24.

“It will be a great satisfaction to play in front of our own crowd in another final. It confirms the hard work of these lads,” Roma boss Luciano Spalletti told Rai television.

Both teams fielded slightly weakened sides with Sunday’s penultimate round of Serie A matches in mind. Roma, who host Atalanta, are three points behind Inter and could still snatch the ‘scudetto’ if their rivals slip up.

Catania are a point above the drop zone and a win at Juventus at the weekend could make Walter Zenga’s team safe.
Inter, who also played a number of reserves, won 2-0 at Lazio in their semi-final second leg on Wednesday to go through 2-0 on aggregate.

Roma beat Inter 7-4 on aggregate in last season’s final, which was played over two legs, with Inter triumphing the previous two years.

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