In a stunning turn of events at the Stadio Olimpico, Lille pulled off a remarkable 1-0 victory over Roma in their Europa League league phase encounter on Thursday night. The French side, already buoyed by an opening win against Brann, now sit pretty with two triumphs from two games. Roma, however, must regroup after this disheartening loss, their first in the competition this season.
The match kicked off with both teams probing cautiously, but it was Lille who struck first. In the 28th minute, Jonatan Haraldsson latched onto a swift counter and slotted home past Roma's Mile Svilar, giving the visitors a lead they would defend with everything they had. Roma pushed back in the second half, dominating possession at around 62 percent, yet failing to truly test Lille's backline until the dying moments.
Indeed, the real drama unfolded in stoppage time. Roma were awarded not one, but three consecutive penalties—a bizarre sequence that left the home crowd roaring in frustration. First, up stepped Paulo Dybala, only for Lille's young goalkeeper Berke Ozer to dive low and save it emphatically. Then Artem Dovbyk tried his luck, but again Ozer was equal to it, parrying away the shot. The third, from Lorenzo Pellegrini, met the same fate as Ozer flung himself to his right. Three saves in a row—unheard of in such high stakes. Lille's bench erupted, while Roma's players slumped, the weight of missed opportunities evident.
However, credit where it's due: Lille's midfield, led by the impressive Lucas Bouaddi, controlled the tempo effectively, breaking up Roma's rhythm time and again. For the Italians, this defeat exposes lingering issues in front of goal, especially after their solid 3-0 win over Elfsborg last week. Mourinho's men now face a tougher road in the group standings, trailing Lille by three points already.
Moreover, Ozer's heroics have thrust the 20-year-old into the spotlight, a performance that could define Lille's campaign. Roma will look to bounce back domestically against AC Milan this weekend, but questions linger about their penalty woes.
As the Europa League heats up, one can't help but wonder how these penalty theatrics might echo through the rest of the season for both clubs.