De Rossi not ready to raise white flag

AS Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi refused to give up on his UEFA Champions League dream although the Giallorossi have a mountain to climb at Old Trafford next Wednesday following a 2-0 first-leg loss in the Italian capital.

Heads dropped
Luciano Spalletti's team went down to a goal in each half from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney on a night where they paid for a series of missed chances prior to the visitors' second strike. De Rossi admitted their heads dropped after Rooney had made it two but stopped short of ruling out a comeback at the scene of their 7-1 quarter-final drubbing last term as well as a 1-0 reverse in this season's group stage.

'Our best'
"We started very well in the second half but when we were playing our best football they scored the second goal," he said. "The only bad thing about tonight's game is that we gave up after their second goal. Ronaldo scored a great goal but I think we managed to limit him and Rooney tonight so I refuse to believe it's over. We have to give our best and see what happens."

'Deserved more'
De Rossi's midfield colleague, Alberto Aquilani, said Roma were unfortunate to be behind at the break, having conceded to a 39th-minute Ronaldo header that represented the only goal attempt of note by United in the first period. "Obviously we are very disappointed," he said. "We deserved more in the first half and we started very well in the second until they scored the second. We cannot say it's over – it would not be right as we have another game to play."