Roma eked out a nail-biting penalty shoot-out triumph against familiar foes Feyenoord to reach the Europa League round of 16. Despite conceding early, Daniele De Rossi bounced back to take their evenly-contested second-leg clash at the Stadio Olimpico to penalties.
There was everything to play for in this blockbuster knockout playoff tie after a 1-1 draw in Rotterdam. However, Roma couldn’t have hoped for a worse start to the game as Santiago Gimenez put Feyenoord in front only five minutes after the opening whistle.
It didn’t take long before Roma replied. In-form Lorenzo Pellegrini slotted home a stunning mid-range attempt to put things back to square one in the 15th minute. Little did anyone at the Olimpico know the Italian’s sublime finish would be the last tonight.
Both sides had several decent chances to break the deadlock in the remainder of the first half. But after a poor finishing let their sides down, both managers opted for a more conservative approach in the second half, resulting in a much less exciting affair.
Chances were at a premium before Romelu Lukaku came inches away from giving Roma a late extra-time victory. Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther was up to the task, thwarting the Belgian’s effort with an outstanding fingertip save.
It only delayed the inevitable as Roma claimed a third consecutive aggregate victory against the Dutch champions in the shoot-out. Without further ado, let’s look at our Giallorossi ratings.
Roma (4-3-3)
Mile Svilar – 8
If De Rossi had any doubt about his goalkeeper’s choice, tonight’s game tipped the scale in the Serbian’s favor. As if three saves in regulation time weren’t convincing enough, Svilar made two crucial stops in the shoot-out to help Roma progress into the next knockout round.
Rick Karsdorp – 6
Another near-anonymous performance from the Dutchman! His defensive commitment was never in question, yet there’s a feeling Giallorossi would do better with a more aggressive right-back.
Gianluca Mancini – 7
Such a dominant defensive figure! Impeccable in the air and spot-on in his tackling, the Italian center-back delivered a top-class display to lay the foundation for Roma’s win.
Diego Llorente – 6
Nowhere near Mancini’s standard but still decent enough to forge a brick wall in front of Svilar’s goal before picking up a late injury.
Leonardo Spinazzola – 6.5
Despite receiving an early booking, the Italy international demonstrated his experience and composure for the rest of the game, dealing with Igor Paixao like a pro.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 7.5
It feels like the creative midfielder would’ve been a talismanic figure everyone at Roma expected from him had only De Rossi assumed the managerial reigns earlier! World-class playmaker!
Leandro Paredes – 6.5
It’s a pity he couldn’t keep up with Pellegrini, but he at least shows no resilience to messy work, proving unafraid to get his hands dirty when needed.
Bryan Cristante – 6
He might be De Rossi’s weakest link in the midfield. Decent when forced to defend, yet clueless in possession, the ex-Milan man looked up the creek without the paddle all night.
Stephan El Shaarawy – 7
Jose Mourinho’s tactics seemingly suppressed his potential as his renaissance since returning to his favorite left-wing position continued with another electrifying display.
Paulo Dybala – 6.5
Well below his A-game but confident enough to take responsibility for creating Roma’s attacks, the diminutive forward fared reasonably well in the first half before vanishing after the break.
Romelu Lukaku – 6
Almost won it for Roma at the death, albeit notoriously quiet for most of the match.
Substitutes
Zeki Celik – 6
Houssem Aouar – 6.5
Evan Ndicka – 6
Nicola Zalewski – 6.5
Tomasso Baldanzi – N/A
Angelino – N/A
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