As it happened: Manchester United 6 -2 Roma - Cavani, Fernandes and Pogba put United in driver's seat

What a second half that was from the Red Devils. They needed a big second half and they didn't dissapoint. Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba had a game to remember and Mason Greenwood put the cherry on the cake.

The second leg will be played next Thursday at the Olimpico in Rome. See you then!

What a second half. What a team.

Halfway there, boys 👊

🔴 #MUFC
🏆 #UEL— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2021

It's all over!

A big, big effort from Man United in the second half puts them in the driver's seat - to say the least - for the second leg next week.

It looks like Ole Gunnar Solskjær might be heading to his first final as a Manchester United manager.

Fernandes off and Mata on. Good day at the office for Bruno; two goals and two assists.

Remember that time when Roma were 2-1 up?

SIX BABY!

Greenwood has been brilliant lately and he makes it six. Cavani finds Greenwood on the right hand side of the pitch. It hits the defender on the way in, 6-2!

What a player!

🔴 Bruno Fernandes = ________

No player has scored more Europa League goals since his debut in this competition in February 2018 (19G) 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/bUx6mw5kDJ

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 29, 2021

Matic on for Fred.

Mkhitaryan with an effort that goes wide. He's been one the better Roma players tonight, at his former homeground.

Fred tries one of his famous shots but it goes well wide. 

From the 52nd minute: "Safe to say that this Pogba-Cavani-Fernandes connection has worked a treat tonight."

Yeah, pretty safe to say that. Three world-class players and they are showing it here tonight.

Solskjær might as well rest some players here; Pogba, Fernandes, Cavani et cetera. This is all really comfortable now.

Rashford is off and Greenwood is on.

AND IT'S FIVE!!

United are crushing Roma here. Fernandes with the ball into the box and Pogba heads it in. A brilliant, brilliant second half for Solskjær's men.

United have woken up this half and it's all gone wrong for Roma. 

Ibanez blocked a shot from Cavani just now. 

No mistake from Fernandes!

Calm, cool and collected - like usual. 

Penalty to Manchester United!

Smalling fouls Cavani. 

Shaw ends his run with a decent shot that Mirante parries. United looking for that fourth goal. 

Mkhitaryan with a good-looking ball into the box. It finds the head of Dzeko but his header is straight at De Gea who makes the easy save.

Wahoooooooooooooooooooo CAVANIIIIIIIIIIII— ANNE-MARIE (@AnneMarie) April 29, 2021

CAVANI AGAIN!!

Horrible mistake by Mirante. Wan-Bissaka with a low-power shot that Mirante can't keep hold of. The ball falls right in front of the feet of Cavani who can't do anything other than score. The right man, at the right time, at the right place. 

Roma haven't been great tonight. They've had two shots and scored two goals. United have to be careful though, the Italian side will punish for one lapse in concentration.

Pogba is such a good footballer. He finds Shaw on the run behind the defence. Shaw places a low cross into the box and finds Cavani but El Matador doesn't strike it cleanly. 

Safe to say that this Pogba-Cavani-Fernandes connection has worked a treat tonight.

Fernandes and Cavani wow. Sublime finish from Cavani, and Fernandes finds him with a no-look pass. #MUFC #MUNROM #UEL— Brad Cox (@BradJCox_) April 29, 2021

That's exactly the start United needed to the second half. 

What a start to the second half!

That's how you finish. A brilliant counter-attack from United. Pogba finds Cavani who passes it back to Fernandes. The Portugese magician finds El Matador again and he makes no mistake this time. What a finish! 

The second half has started. United need a big half here.

No changes; Roma can't make any more changes, they finished their substitutions in the first-half because of injuries.

Will be interesting to see if Solskjær changes things up at half-time.

Greenwood has been fantastic lately. He will come on sooner rather than later, probably for either McTominay or Fred. 

HT: Man Utd (1.33) 1-2 (1.73) Roma — The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) April 29, 2021

Work to do in the second half.

🔴 #MUFC
🏆 #UEL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2021

Half-time

Worrying first half for Manchester United. They started really well, got the goal but then Roma turned the game around and Man United are behind at the break. They need a much better second half because this would be a horrible result for the second leg in Rome.

Cavani gets a gift but he can't unwrap it. 

Ibanez with a horrible pass straight to Cavani but Mirante does really well to save from El Matador. Cavani gets the rebound but it's blocked.

Manchester United lacking ideas in the final third, and lacking rythm. Fernandes tries to pass the ball in behind the defence but it goes out for a goal-kick...

There will be five minutes of added time because of all the injuries.

Not much happening at the moment. The home side haven't created much except the brilliant goal they scored early on. Roma will be so happy with how the game has gone so far. 

Roma's physios are busy tonight. Three substitutions because of injuries so far. Not ideal. 

According to the BBC they can't make any substitutions second-half. 

"Roma still have two substitutions left but - unless I'm mistaken - will have to make them at half-time or not at all. You can only make subs in three blocks - plus at half-time," says BBC Reporter, Simon Stone.

Roma need to make their third substitution tonigh because of injury. Spinazzola, who's been really impressive, needs to go off and Bruno Peres comes in. 

After a bright start it's now looking pretty bad for the Red Devils.

Roma take the lead, 1-2. 

It's Edin Dzeko that gets it over the line. Mkhitaryan with the through ball to Pellegrini. He looks up and find Dzeko who taps it in. Shaw makes Pellegrini offside and Maguire misses the ball that goes to Dzeko.

In Spain, Villarreal are 2-0 up vs Arsenal.

It's been a hectic half an hour

Two goals and two substitutions so far. Hopefully we'll get some more goals in the next hour of football.

The keeper is coming off. Roma have to make another sub; not an ideal situation for the Italian side - not at all.

Roma might need to make another substitution here. They have the 37-year-old Antonio Mirante on the bench.

Pogba tests Lopez from about 20 yards out. It's a relatively easy save for the Spaniard to make but a decent try nontheless.

Lopez lands awkwardly and needs treatment.

Rashford runs at the defence and finds Fernandes in the box. The Portugese midfielder hits it right away but his shot has no power and rolls wide.

Ibanez jumps on the back of Rashford and Man United get a free-kick at a dangerous position, couple of yards outside the box.

Fernandes takes it, but he puts it over the goal. 

🔴 Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in 29 goals in 31 Europa League games (18G, 11A) 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/GC0DdmxFXZ

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) April 29, 2021

Was it a penalty? Who knows these days? The ball hits the foot of Pogba and then his hand as he tried to block a cross. VAR is of course on duty tonight but didn't overturn the decision. 

Pellegrini equalises. De Gea dives in the right corner but he can't keep it out. All even again. 

The ball hits the foot of Pogba as he slides in the box, and it then hits his hand. Pellegrini takes it.

Penalty Roma! 

What a goal ❤️— Gary Neville (@GNev2) April 29, 2021

A fantastic goal from United. Pogba deserves massive credit for his preparation of the goal and that finish from Fernandes was 10/10. 

BRUNO!!

Bruno Fernandes with the first goal of the game. Brilliant bit of play from Pogba, he then gives it to Cavani who puts Fernandes in first time. Fernandes chips it over the goalkeeper and it's 1-0!

There is an injury in the first three minutes. Midfielder Jordan Veretout can't contintue, he kicks the ball out of play twiche and is coming off. In for him comes 

Gonzalo Villar

Not the night Veretout expected. 

The match is underway. Dzeko with the first kick off the game.

It's a pretty decent song, isn't it? Not as good as the Champions League anthem, but still very good. 

Get your popcorn ready, there are 15 minutes to kick-off!

Not long to go until this crucial match for both sides! A reminder that the second leg at the Olimpico in Rome is next Thursday.

The referee for tonight's match is Carlos del Cerro Grande from Spain. He's been an international referee since 2013.

On Pogba, Cavani and De Gea starting: "They are experienced, they are our top players. We felt we needed that experience today and hopefully we can get a performance"

On Greenwood's absence: "If you look at individuals Mason deserves to play, but we felt the second half against Tottenham was a strong performance, we want to see something of the same."

Greenwood the super-sub?

Last year both these teams were eliminated from the Europa League by Sevilla; Roma in the round of 16 and Manchester United in the semi-finals. Those were one-legged ties. 

This year both Man United and Roma will avoid Sevilla in the Europa League as the Spanish side went into the round of 16 in the Champions League were they got knocked out by Borussia Dortmund. 

Nobody loves the Europa League more than Sevilla. 

Roma will be looking for their first European victory away to English opponents since February 2001 (1-0 v Liverpool  in the UEFA Cup), having failed to win any of their last 12 such games against seven different English sides (D4 L8).

Manchester United haven't lost at home in a European semi-final since April 1997 (0-1 v Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League), winning four and drawing three of their last seven such games. 

Sounds good for Man Utd but anything can happen in football.

Roma's form hasn't been as good. 

Last five games:

Roma 1 - 0 Bologna

Roma 1 - 1 Ajax

Torino 3 - 1 Ajax

Roma 1 - 1 Atalanta

Cagliari 3 - 2 Roma

Ole Gunnar Solskjærs's side has been on a terrific run of form lately.

Last five games:

Granada 0 - 2 Man United

Tottenham 1 - 3 Man United

Man United 2 - 0 Granada

Man United 3 - 1 Burnley

Leeds 0 - 0 Man United

Last loss: Leicester 3 - 1 Man United (21st of March)

The final of the Europa League this year will be held in Gdansk, Poland. The final will be on the 26th of May 2021.

To get to this stage Man United finished 3rd in their group in the Champions League, beat Real Sociedad (4-0) in the round of 32, won against AC Milan (2-1) in the round of 16 and then comfortably got past Spanish side Granada in the quarter-finals.

Roma finished top of their group in the Europa League, a group with Young Boys, CFR Cluj and CSKA Sofia. They got past Braga (5-1) in the round of 32, Shakhtar Donetsk (5-1) in the round of 16 and Ajax (3-2) in the quarter-finals.

These two teams have met six times before, with all the games coming in the Champions League. 

Man United: 4 wins

1 draw

Roma: 1 win

The most memorable of the games definitely came on the 10th of April in 2007. Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Carrick both scored twice as United battered Roma, 7-1. 

What will happen tonight?

Ready for action 🎬

🔴 #MUFC
🏆 #UEL pic.twitter.com/GA4VqMbmY9 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2021

Two former Manchester United players, Chris Smalling and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, both start for Roma. Edin Dzeko is the target-man for the Italian side.

Manchester United make three changes from the goalless draw against Leeds last weekend. David de Gea is back between the sticks, Paul Pogba is back and Edinson Cavani starts up front.

Dean Henderson, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood take a seat on the bench.

🟨🟧🟥📋🟥🟧🟨

Team news is 𝙄𝙉! 👊
#ASRoma #UEL #ManUtdRoma pic.twitter.com/36niXDyMs7— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) April 29, 2021

📣 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗! 📣

Here's your #MUFC XI for tonight's #UEL semi-final 🔴— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 29, 2021

"We have done extremely well to get to five semi-finals in just over a season but, of course, we'd now like to go all the way and that would add so much to the end of our season if we have a final to look forward to."

"We have had a great night in this tournament before and we know how much it means for the team and for the whole club. Our focus now is to get to the final and make sure that the end of our season can finish with a celebration."

Manchester United vs Roma will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2. Coverage of the game will start at 19:15 with kick-off at 20:00. However, if you can't watch the game, be sure to join us here on VAVEL.com for consistent LIVE updates

Former United defender Chris Smalling is likely to feature following a short spell out with a thigh injury he looks likely to overcome in time for his Old Trafford return. 

However, Pedro will be sidelined through injury, while Riccardo Calafiori and Nicolo Zaniolo have also not travelled to Manchester. Gianluca Mancini will also miss out through suspension. 

Eric Bailly and Marcus Rashford are both in contention to feature for United. Striker Rashford has been carrying a foot problem but is available for tonight's game. 

Anthony Martial remains absent from the squad after picking up an injury on international duty, while Phil Jones extends his prolonged spell on the sidelines. 

Roma has been struggling home in Italy and currently sit outside of the European places, in seventh. They are six points away from sixth and winning this competition might be their only hope of European football next season.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has been Manchester United's manager since December 2018. He's managed to guide the team to four semi-finals (this is the fifth) but never to a final. To finally get to a final he has to get past Roma first. 

Manchester United vs Roma match will be played at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom. The kick-off is scheduled at 20:00 BST. 

Good evening!

Tonight at Old Trafford: Manchester United vs Roma in the Europa League semi-final. It's the first leg of the tie. 

Other fixture of the night:

Villarreal vs Arsenal

Both games start at 20:00.