Despite facing 10 men for the whole of the second half, Leeds United were last night unable to match the intelligence or poise they displayed in Rome. Ultimately, Roma's passage into the last 16 was comfortable.
The red card shown to Roma's Cameroon defender Pierre Wome just before half-time should have given Leeds the momentum, mentally and physically, to pin the Italians back after a deflating first half, but David O'Leary's young side never came close to doing that. The new Leeds manager's pre-match assessment that his squad was too thin and too inexperienced to compete at this level proved correct.
Nigel Martyn, deemed fit before the game, was quickly involved, saving a shot from Roma's scorer in the first match, Marco Delvecchio, in the sixth minute.
The effort was early reward for Roma's adventurous formation - they began with three forwards - but their defence, as it did in the first leg, looked exposed by this.
Consequently, David Hopkin was able to dribble through a soft-looking centre shortly after Delvecchio's chance, and Roma were further stretched shortly after by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's quick breakaway. When Hasselbaink centred from the right, Sharpe, unfortunately, met it with his right foot and the result was predictably poor.
However, in an entertaining and rapidly-moving game, Leeds were unable to maintain any pressure, and before the half-hour Martyn had made three more important saves, again from Delvecchio and from Brazilians Aldair and Paulo Sergio. Francesco Totti, Roma's captain and playmaker, was central to all of the Italians' progression.
Then, 60 seconds before the interval, came Wome's dismissal for a second foul on Bowyer. The decision was harsh. This obliged the Italians to play with 10 men for 10 minutes longer than Leeds had had to, and their inevitable reorganisation saw the French international defender Vincent Candela replace the winger Sergio.
O'Leary's response was to replace the disappointing Sharpe with Clyde Wijnhard, with Harry Kewell moving into Sharpe's left-wing position.
The change was of little immediate benefit, but then, six minutes later, Hasselbaink at last created another opening. The Dutchman's pass found Bowyer in space and his cross was met by Wijnhard sliding in at the far post. The ball was goalbound until, comically, it hit Kewell. Sadly, Leeds did not see the funny side.
Leeds United: Martyn, Hiden, Molenaar, Woodgate, Harte, Hopkin, Bowyer, McPhail, Sharpe (Wijnhard 60), Hasselbaink, Kewell. Subs Not Used: Haaland, Wetherall, Granville, Lilley, Halle, Robinson. Booked: Hasselbaink, Bowyer.
As Roma: Chimenti, Zago, Aldair, Sergio (Candela 46), Totti (Cafu 86), Di Francesco, Petruzzi, Wome, Tomic, Tommasi, Delvecchio. Subs Not Used: Alenichev, Bartelt, Gautieri, Frau, Campagnolo. Sent Off: Wome (45). Booked: Di Francesco, Wome, Petruzzi.
Referee: B Heynemann (Germany).
