Bate Borisov managed to stave off a late Roma comeback to pull off one of the shocks of the night as they beat the Italians 3-2.
Roma’s positive beginning was cancelled out instantly with goals from Ihar Stasevich and Filip Mladenovic giving the hosts a surprising two goal lead. Gervinho and Radja Nainggolan had half opportunities before Mladenovic doubled his tally to effectively end the tie within the first 45 minutes.
Alessandro Florenzi had a great chance at the beginning of the second period but the Italian side were still without a goal to their name. The visitors sparked the game into life with Gervinho getting one back before Vasilis Torosidis’s strike set up a nervy final ten minute but couldn’t do enough to save a point.
Roma’s bright start
Roma made a very bright start to the game with their first opportunity coming inside two minutes when former Arsenal forward Gervinho when he managed to get a shot away but it was easy to collect Sergey Chernik.
Bate double up
Despite their bright start Luis Garcia’s side they found themselves behind in the ninth minute, it was BATE’s first real attack of the game before Mikhail Gordeichuk clattered the crossbar which caused a goalmouth scramble but it fell perfectly Stasevich who headed home from a yard out.
Taking the lead was a shock to Roma’s system but got worse from there as the home side doubled their lead only three minutes later with a thunderous effort. At first glance it looked like Mladenovic’s effort took a wicked deflection that wrong-footed Wojciech Szczesny but his thunderous effort swerved one way to another giving the Polish stopper no chance.
Half opportunities
Roma despite been two goals were still looking to get back in the game and came close as Gervinho couldn’t quite get onto the end of a shot from the left but it fell well for Juan Iturbe but it was easy once again from Chernik.
It was then the turn of Nainggolan who attempted the audacious effort from 23 yards out from the corner but Chernik produced a save for the cameras as he got down to tip it away.
Bate grab a third
The tie was effectively put the bed just after the half hour mark when Mladenovic added his second of the evening. Mladenovic, a full-back by trade showed a striker’s prowess as he managed to surge into the area and questions could be asked once again of Szczesny as he failed to keep out his strike.
It could have been four five minutes before the end when Nikolay Signevich managed to get a decent shot away but Szczesny managed to get himself behind the shot on this occasion to push it behind.
Roma rumble on
Like the first, the visitors started the second positively and came within inches of getting their opening goal of the evening when Florenzi’s effort looked destined for the top corner but Kaspars Dubra did brilliantly to get his head onto it to send it wide of the target.
It should have been four for the home side as a result of another counter attack from the home side which Yablonski’s effort was blocked by Daniel De Rossi which fell to another BATE player but pondering allowed time for Roma players to get back in numbers to block a further attempt.
Gervinho strikes back
Moments after Chernik produced a wonderful save with his legs from Iago Falque’s effort, he could do nothing to prevent Gervinho getting one back.
Substitute Falque who had great effort moments earlier turned provider this time as he did brilliantly to slip the ball through to the Ivorian striker and he coolly slot it beyond Chernik to set up a nervy final 20 minutes for the home side.
Torosidis turns it around
It proved to be a nervy final eight minutes for the home side as Garcia’s side managed to get their second goal of the game.
It was the turn of another sub this time in the form of Torosidis as Lucas Digne’s ball in from the left fell to the Greek who managed to get the ball out from his feet to fire home.
A minute later they almost found their equaliser when Florenzi had a crack at goal but lucky for BATE it clattered back off the crossbar and managed to hold on for a famous victory.