Francesco Totti’s fierce free kick was not enough for Roma in Moscow, as CSKA scored with the last kick for a 1-1 draw.
Francesco Totti’s fierce free kick was not enough for Roma in Moscow, as CSKA scored with the last kick for a 1-1 draw.
A win would’ve meant the Giallorossi could automatically be qualified if Manchester City fail to beat Bayern Munich this evening. Instead, they still have a superior head-to-head record with the Russians thanks to a 5-1 win at the Olimpico, but are level second on five points each.
Alessandro Florenzi had to start at right-back due to an injury crisis that ruled out Douglas Maicon, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Vasilis Torosidis and Leandro Castan, while Miralem Pjanic was benched. It was -7 degrees Celsius at the Arena Khimki and played behind closed doors due to crowd trouble by CSKA fans in Rome.
Georgi Schennikov had the first effort comfortably dealt with and Kostas Manolas got back to stop Seydou Doumbia making the most of a poor Morgan De Sanctis clearance. Radja Nainggolan blasted not far off target from distance.
A good chance was created by Francesco Totti and Florenzi combining, the right-back’s ball flashing across the face of goal just beyond Adem Ljajic. On 38 minutes Doumbia burst through and was one-on-one with De Sanctis, but the goalkeeper made himself big and blocked the shot with his trailing leg.
Florenzi was brought down on the very edge of the box and Totti made the most of the position, smashing a rocket of a free kick through the wall into the near top corner. Daniele De Rossi ducked in the wall, which is fortunate for him as the shot was clocked at 106km/h. It allowed Totti to extend his record as the oldest player ever to score in the Champions League, having already netted against Manchester City this season. In Moscow he was aged 38 years and 59 days.
It was almost 2-0, as in stoppages Igor Akinfeev was at full stretch to deny a deflected Florenzi effort. However, CSKA came out fighting for the second half and pinned the Giallorossi back, raining crosses into the box with Roman Eremenko.
Radja Nainggolan should’ve scored when he skipped past two challenges to go clear on goal, but the angled drive was pulled wide of the far post.
It was constant CSKA pressure and De Sanctis turned Ahmed Musa’s effort out from under the bar and comfortably smothered a Dzagoev header. Ljajic went on the counter, but Akinfeev stuck out a foot to parry his angled drive.
A free kick was chipped up for Florenzi, whose cross flashed just past Seydou Keita in the middle. Kevin Strootman made his Champions League comeback after one substitute appearance in Serie A this season following knee surgery in March.
The hosts had a great chance in the final minute when Juan Iturbe skied his clearance, but Dzagoev’s attempted acrobatic finish was charged down by Keita.
Just as Roma appeared to have the win in hand, CSKA scored with the last kick of the game. Iturbe lost the ball in midfield and Vasili Berezutski’s cross sailed past everyone to surprise De Sanctis, as two CSKA players tried and failed to flick it on.
CSKA Moscow 1-1 Roma
Scorers: Totti 43 (R), V Berezutski 93 (C)
CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev; Mario Fernandes, V Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov; Natcho; Cauna (Milanov 64), R Eremenko, Dzagoev, Musa (Tosic 81); Doumbia
Roma: De Sanctis; Florenzi, Manolas, Astori, Holebas; Keita, De Rossi, Nainggolan (Strootman 83); Gervinho (Iturbe 77), Totti, Ljajic (Pjanic 87)
Ref: Brych (GER)