AS Roma vs Feyenoord: Dramatic Shoot-Out Victory Propels Giallorossi to UEFA Europa League Last 16
AS Roma emerged victorious against Feyenoord, In a thrilling UEFA Europa League showdown, clinching a spot in the last 16 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Stadio Olimpico.
Gimenez gave Feyenoord the lead in the first five minutes of play, but Pellegrini, a midfielder for Roma, tied the score with one of his season’s best goals. The match went to penalties after a tiresome 120 minutes, with Roma emerging triumphant.
Following a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their play-off match at the Stadio Olimpico, AS Roma defeated Feyenoord in a shoot-out to secure their place in the UEFA Europa League last 16. Nicola Zalewski scored the game-winning penalty.
Romelu Lukaku’s unexpected miss aside, goalkeeper Mile Svilar made saves to deny both David Hancko and Alireza Jahanbakhsh, as the Giallorossi won 4-2 on penalties. After Lukaku salvaged a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Holland, Roma had been the clear favorites to advance on home soil. However, in just five minutes, Santiago Gimenez’s quick thinking allowed him to redirect an improvised finish into the net, quieting the partisan home crowd.
Ten minutes later, Lorenzo Pellegrini immediately brought the score back to even with a delicious curler. After that, the game descended into a kind of deadlock as neither team could find any openings.
Lukaku nearly won it in the 120th minute of extra time, but Svilar’s heroics in penalty kicks sent Daniele De Rossi’s team into Friday’s draw for the round of 16.
Feyenoord is tired of seeing the same old thing as last year’s finalists sneaking through
Feyenoord’s resilient defense had given them a chance to win against the Italian favorites for the third time, but there wasn’t much to choose between the two teams.
In fact, these two sides are very familiar with one another—their agonizing UEFA Europa Conference League final two seasons ago was followed by a quarterfinal loss to Roma last season—and it’s possible that this familiarity is what made them balance each other out.
Although it was a nervous moment for De Rossi, he has led Roma on an upward track since replacing Jose Mourinho. A strong showing in this competition and gains in Serie A are important goals for the rest of the season.
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PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Svilar Mile (AS Roma) The home side’s goalie didn’t play much in the game, but he made two outstanding saves in the shootout to give his team the advantage.
