After routing CSKA Sofia, Roma breezed past Zorya Luhansk too, winning the second straight game in the group stage of the European Conference League. It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Giallorossi, who were always in control, although the Ukrainian side stayed close to the score for an hour. Stephan El Shaarawy, the best man on the pitch in the first half, Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham, who had a strong cameo, put their names in the stat sheet.
José Mourinho selected an experimental lineup to rest a few starters. Roger Ibanez filled in for Rick Karsdorp at right-back, with Smalling and Marah Kumbulla in the middle of the defense. Ebrima Darboe and Carles Perez relieved Jordan Veretout and Nicolò Zaniolo. Eldor Shomurodov spearheaded the attack.
Roma got of to a fast start and grabbed the lead seven minutes into the game. Darboe found El Shaarawy with a timely through-ball slicing the defense. The winger glided past the goalkeeper and tucked it home. The Italian international continued to wreak havoc and attempted two vicious shots in short order, but Dmytro Matsapura managed to save on both. The goalkeeper also denied Shomurodov in a one-on-one situation with his leg.
Zorya tried being more proactive in the second half but never really posed a threat to Rui Patricio. Roma knocked them out with a one-two punch between the 66th and the 68th minute. Smalling doubled the lead with a header from inside the six-yard box on a corner kick. Tammy Abraham put the finishing touches by pouncing on a ball in the box and rifling it home. The Giallorossi had a few more chances to further punish the opponents but could not hit the net. Kumbulla had a goal-line clearance in the final minute to secure the clean sheet.