Nine-man Roma lose in Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen came from behind to beat nine-man Roma 3-1.

Leading 1-0 at half-time, Roma were on course for a smash-and-grab raid at the home of a Leverkusen side who attacked incessantly and incisively.

But then Roque Junior cancelled out Dimitar Berbatov's unfortunate own goal, the excellent Jacek Krzynowek volleyed a deserved clincher and Franca added the gloss to the win with an injury-time third to leave Roma pointless after three games.

Elimination surely beckons after Roma's game against Dynamo Kiev was abandoned and they squandered a two-goal lead to lose in Madrid. Two Roma red cards in a third loss, a consequence of their ungracious and ill-tempered response to setbacks as they adopted persecution complex despite enjoying a considerable slice of luck in their 26th-minute opener.

Francesco Totti's drilled free kick took a wicked deflection off Berbatov and looped over the hapless Hans-Jorg Butt. Despite a couple of optimistic efforts from Vincenzo Montella, it was Roma's first meaningful attempt at goal.

Indeed, troubled by Leverkusen's crosses and tormented by Krzynowek, a scorer against Real Madrid and possessor of an educated left foot, Roma were fortunate not to be behind.

The Pole fired over from an acute angle, turned provider for Roque Junior to head wide from six yards and then put the ball in the Roma net, only to be denied by an offside decision.

Robson Ponte was Leverkusen's other creative force and the Brazilian centred for Berbatov to head against the Roma bar and then Jermaine Jones to head wide.

Then Mancini alleviated the pressure on the Roma back four with a forward run that was ended by Roque Junior's seemingly legal challenge. Free kick was the controversial verdict and it was Totti's retaken set piece that gave Roma the breakthrough.

Briefly galvanised, Luigi del Neri's side almost scored an altogether classier goal, Simone Perrotta capping a fluent move with a volley across goal and wide.

But as tempers shortened, Leverkusen threatened again and Bernd Schneider, one of three players cautioned in quick succession, guided a header the wrong side of the post.

Leverkusen were unrelenting and levelled three minutes after half-time. Robson Ponte's curling free kick was aimed at a host of his team-mates, evaded all and beat Carlo Zotti. Roque Junior wheeled away in celebration but, as when he claimed a penalty earlier, not everyone was not convinced by the theatrical defender's protestations.

There was less doubt about the scorer of Leverkusen's second, even if the execution was fortunate. As Jones' cross reached Krzynowek, the Pole slipped and volleyed the ball down into the BayArena turf and up into the corner.

But Roma, as they showed against Dynamo Kiev, go down fighting. After Leandro Cufre had an equaliser dubiously disallowed for offside, Christian Panucci directed an elbow at Krzynowek. The red card that the increasingly incendiary atmosphere threatened duly followed and, though Totti clipped the bar with a late free kick, Roma's parting shot was a wild kick from Daniele de Rossi that brought him his marching orders.

Roma's, from the Champions League, should follow after matchday six. On the evidence of this indisciplined and shambolic display, they will not be missed.

But Leverkusen, not flattered by the two-goal margin of their victory, had reason to be confident of qualification even before Franca's 94th-minute tap-in.

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Bayer Leverkusen	Team Statistics	Roma
3	Goals	1
0	1st Half Goals	1
8	Shots on Target	2
13	Shots off Target	1
3	Blocked Shots	2
2	Corners	0
18	Fouls	20
3	Offsides	5
3	Yellow Cards	4
0	Red Cards	2
78.8	Passing Success	65
37	Tackles	50
54.1	Tackles Success	30
60.7	Possession	39.3
65.6	Territorial Advantage	34.4