Penalty progression as Roma live to fight another day in the Eternal City

Roma and Feyenoord did battle in the historic city, and failed to be separated after 120 minutes at the Olimpico.

Penalty progression as Roma live to fight another day in the Eternal City
Lorenzo Pellegrini's stunner got Roma back into the game after an early Feyenoord goal. (Photo by Silvia Lore/Getty Images)
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By Max Passantino

Roma progressed into the Round of Sixteen in the Europa League, despite the scare of a penalty shootout that was needed to beat a stubborn Feyenoord side.

It was a nightmare start for the hosts as on five minutes, as the Dutch outfit took the lead. A Quilindschy Hartman cross was bundled in by the hand of Santiago Giménez to stun the Stadio.

Ten minutes later, the home side were back on terms thanks to their captain. Lorenzo Pellegrini used his experience to curl a stunning strike past the De club aan de Maas' custodian and level the scores.

Roma dominated the rest of the half continued that pressure in the second 45 but failed to break through the stubborn Feyenoord defence, who forced an extra half an hour. 

Nothing could split the sides as the tie ended 1-1 and therefore headed for the dreaded penalty shoot out.

Two penalty saves from Mile Svilar ensured that the Italians would survive the scare and progress after spot kicks, with Tommaso Baldanzi firing home the final spot kick.

  • Story of the match

After a score draw in Rotterdam, it was all to play for at a sold out Stadio Olimpico in a return of last season's Europa League Quarter Final.

No Feyenoord fans were in attendance due to an ongoing ban so Italy's national stadium portrayed a colosseum of support for the Giallorossi with supporters all around the historic venue raising red and yellow flags, scarves and banners high to create a formidable atmosphere.

Only five minutes were on the clock when the visitors took the lead with the first effort of the match. Good build up play on the left hand side freed Quilindschy Hartman who was in acres of space to play the ball into the box, the ball heading into the net off the sleeve of Santiago Giménez. 


That early goal woke the hosts up, and Romelu Lukaku was inches away from connecting to a perfect Leonardo Spinazzola cross seconds before Lorenzo Pellegrini's effort was blocked.

A goalmouth scramble from the resulting corner was blocked off the line and a vociferous shout for a penalty after it appeared Diego Llorente was taken down in the box was denied by Spanish referee Jesús Gil Manzano and seconded by VAR.

The game started with an end-to-end drama to it, and Giménez almost had a second of the evening just after the ten minute mark but was denied by the strong hands of Mile Svilar.

A moment of magic from their skipper got the Giallorossi back on level terms. Pellegrini was afforded too much room on the edge of the box from a Feyenoord perspective and punished the visitors, curling superbly into the top corner.


Giménez was Arne Slot's preferred outlet playing as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation and he almost got his second of the game after a positive run and cross in by Quinten Timber was put over the bar by the Mexican forward.

The relentless nature of the first twenty continued and Bryan Cristante was left head in hands questioning how he didn't give La Lupa the lead. A pin point cross from Spinazzola found the midfielder who made a surging run to get into the box but the 28 year old's header flew over the crossbar.

A wayward effort from Rick Karsdorp was the only action to talk about in the following fifteen minutes as the game matured and slowed down.

Roma were taking control of the game but with no final touch, a couple of crosses evaded everyone late in the half as the two teams went in all square at the break. 

The second period started the same way as the first ended with a flurry of attacks from Daniele De Rossi's team but they struggled to break through a resolute defence.

Spanish official Manzano left the home support baffled as both he and VAR failed to award the Italian outfit a penalty despite a clumsy Thomas Beelen challenge looking to have brought Stephan El Shaarawy down in the box.

Timon Wellenreuther made a good low claim, pulling the ball from El Shaarawy's feet before the winger could get a shot off. Minutes later, the wide man found himself free again but his ball across flew over goalkeeper and net.

Substitute Zeki Çelik's attempt was stopped by the German custodian as the Olimpico outfit looked to make all their pressure count.

Attacks for the visitors were sparse all evening, and Gianluca Mancini was alert when needed, cutting out a left wing square ball from substitute Luka Ivanušec.

David Hancko kept his side in the tie with two minutes to go, jockeying Lukaku with the Belgian all but through and getting a foot to the ball with perfect timing.

In a nail biting conclusion to the 90 for the home support, Mats Wieffer headed over from a corner halfway through the six minutes of injury time. That proved to be the last chance of the second period and for the second year in a row his tie was destined for an extra 30 minutes.

Cristante's header from a corner was deflected into the side netting as the Italians started the extra period on the front foot.

A first attack after the 90 for the visiting side ended up in a comfortable save for Svilar from Ivanušec's audacious curler.

Feyenoord substitute Ayase Ueda was brought down for a free kick about 25 yards out which he took himself, clearing the bar.

For the first time since the opening goal, Arne Slot's side were having the better of the play when the man in the middle blew for the conclusion of the first fifteen in extra time.

The cagey affair continued, a complete opposite to how the first half played out with both sides knowing one slip up could cost them their European place.

Yankuba Minteh forced Svilar into a solid save as the visitors continued to have few, but promising, chances. 

Young substitute Baldanzi drove a ball into the area that Lukaku was lurking in, but Wellenreuther was once again equal to anything thrown at him.

With one minute of added time signalled, the German was called into action again - tipping Lukaku's low effort past the post. The Belgian forward got the final touch of the game, heading over from the resulting corner to confirm that penalties would be needed to separate the sides.

Leonardo Paredes stepped up first for Roma and, despite Wellenreuther's best efforts, found the bottom corner. 

A hostile environment welcomed Ueda to take his spot kick, the Japanese striker following Paredes into the same corner.

An overdramatic Lukaku run up gave the German goalkeeper time to work out where he was going, and the 26 year old saved only to be followed by a fantastic Svilar stop from the next spot kick.

Bryan Cristante netted Roma's third before Jahanbakhsh, brought on to take a penalty, also saw his saved by the Serbian to give advantage to the Giallorossi.

Houssem Aouar netted a fourth for Roma, before Hartman followed up with a fine penalty.

Youngster Baldanzi was handed the chance to win the tie for the Italians, which he emphatically took to send the Italian side into the Round of Sixteen.

  • Player of the match

Mile Svilar (AS Roma)

If there wasn't extra time or a shootout, Bryan Crystante would have walked to this award but the Serbian's shot stopping prowess showed - not only keeping the Italians in the game in the second half of extra time but by saving two spot kicks.