Europa League Clash: AS Roma vs Lille
In a surprising turn of events during the Europa League clash on Thursday, AS Roma suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Lille, marked by an extraordinary failure to convert not just one, but three penalties late in the match. The controversy unfolded at the Stadio Olimpico, where Roma’s Artem Dovbyk saw his first two penalty attempts thwarted by Lille’s goalkeeper, Berke Özer. Both shots were saved, but the excitement didn’t end there; each miss led to the referee ordering a retake due to players encroaching into the box before the ball was struck.
Eager for a chance to bring the match level, Roma opted to change their penalty taker, handing the responsibility to Matìas Soulè. However, it was yet another moment of disappointment as Özer again demonstrated his prowess between the posts, effectively saving the retaken penalty in the 85th minute. This bewildering sequence followed the initial goal from Hakon Arnar Haraldsson, whose angled strike gave Lille the lead as early as the sixth minute and ultimately decided the contest.
Other Europa League Highlights
In other Europa League action, Braga secured a significant away win against Celtic, defeating them 2-0 at Celtic Park. Ricardo Horta‘s long-range effort and a late penalty from substitute Gabri Martínez ensured the victory, while Real Betis triumphed with a 2-0 win at Ludogorets, bolstered by a stunning strike from Giovani Lo Celso and an own goal from Spanish defender Son.
Fenerbahçe also achieved a solid result, overcoming Nice with a 2-1 scoreline, thanks to two goals from Kerem Aktürkoğlu. Meanwhile, Bologna and Freiburg battled to a 1-1 draw, with Riccardo Orsolini scoring for Bologna before Junior Adamu leveled from the penalty spot.
Conference League Milestones
In the inaugural match of the Conference League, Crystal Palace celebrated a significant milestone by winning 2-0 against Dynamo Kyiv, marking their inaugural appearance in a major European competition. Daniel Muñoz and Eddie Nketiah found the net for Palace, who stretched their club-record unbeaten run to 19 matches, following a victory against Liverpool in the Premier League.
After a 25-year absence from European competition, Rayo Vallecano returned with style, defeating North Macedonia’s Shkëndija 2-0. The Polish side Jagiellonia also contributed to an eventful evening, edging out Hamrun Spartans 1-0, despite the latter club becoming the first Maltese team in European competition to see a player sent off.
Conference League Format
The Conference League adopts a similar 36-team league format as the Champions League and the Europa League, albeit teams face only six different opponents during the group stage rather than eight.
