In a match that had everything from tension to sheer disbelief, Lille pulled off a stunning victory over Roma in the Europa League on Thursday night. The final score was 0-1 at the Stadio Olimpico, where Lille's resilience shone through against a Roma side desperate for points. It was the second round of the league phase, and both teams came in unbeaten after opening wins, but Lille clearly had other ideas.
The game started cautiously, with Roma pressing early but lacking that killer edge in attack. Lille, on the other hand, absorbed the pressure and struck on the counter. Jonatan Bergmann Haraldsson's goal in the first half—a well-timed finish after a swift break—proved to be the decider. Roma pushed hard after the break, but their finishing let them down time and again. Indeed, the real drama unfolded in the dying minutes when referee Michael Oliver awarded three penalties in quick succession against Lille for handballs and fouls in the box. Roma's players must have thought victory was theirs.
However, enter Lille's young goalkeeper Berke Ozer. The 20-year-old, on loan from Fenerbahce, turned into a wall of defiance. He saved all three spot-kicks—one low to his left, another diving right, and the third parried away with calm authority. It was an extraordinary sequence that left the home crowd stunned and Roma's coach Claudio Ranieri shaking his head in frustration. Ozer's heroics not only secured the three points but also marked Lille's first-ever win on Roma's turf in European competition. For Lille, this makes two wins from two in the group, putting them in a strong position early on.
Roma, meanwhile, drop to fourth in the standings with just three points, their defense holding firm but the attack sputtering. The penalties highlighted some sloppy defending from Lille, yet they got away with it thanks to their keeper's brilliance. Moreover, this loss raises questions about Roma's mentality in big European nights—can they bounce back from such a bizarre defeat?
As the Europa League heats up, Lille's tenacity offers a reminder that underdogs can bite back when it counts most.