Almost six months after the tragic 6-1 collected in the group stage, Roma returns to Bodo with another very bitter 2-1 defeat in the first leg of the Conference League quarter-finals. A goal from Vetlesen in the 89th minute was decisive, after Wembangomo had managed to equalize Pellegrini’s initial advantage. Not a great performance in terms of the game for Jose ‘Mourinho’s team, who in a week at the Olimpico will have to win by two goals to take the final revenge on Knutsen’s men and go to the semifinals.
A lot of boredom and few emotions in the first part of the match, with the only attempt by the hosts in the 13th minute by Saltnes, which kicks on the outside of the net with a deflection of a defender. The Giallorossi maneuver is slow and quite predictable, so much so that for the first Roma goal ball you have to wait for the 37th minute, when Abraham invented the game to present himself in front of the goalkeeper, but without finding the right angle to beat him. Roma, however, shakes up and at 43 ‘takes the lead with Pellegrini, who finds the left-handed crossing on the beautiful verticalization of Mkhitaryan.
In the second half Bodo started more convinced and in the 56th minute he leveled the score with Wembangomo, who kicks from outside finding a slight deviation of Saltnes misleading for a guilty Rui Patricio. The Norwegians take courage and try to crush Roma in their half of the pitch, but Mourinho’s team settles down and in the 71st minute still scares Haikin with Pellegrini, who kicks very well from outside finding the good response of the goalkeeper. In the end, however, comes the blaze of Vetlesen, who hit his head all alone in the area in the 89th minute, giving Bodo a heavy success.