Lille took an early lead with Haraldsson`s goal in the 6th minute. In a dramatic finish, Roma was awarded a penalty that was retaken three times, with both Dovbyk (twice) and Soulé failing to convert.
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Roma suffered another 1-0 home defeat, this time against Lille in the Europa League, with Haraldsson scoring just six minutes into the match. This marks the second consecutive home game where the Giallorossi have fallen behind and failed to recover, following a previous loss to Torino. Despite their recent Serie A success, including a challenging victory over Verona that secured them first place, Gasperini`s team showed signs of regression. The triple penalty miss – twice by Dovbyk and then by Soulé – highlighted the difficulties encountered against a Lille side that proved to be a challenging opponent.
First Half: Lille Takes Early Lead
Positioned cleverly between the lines, Haraldsson immediately disrupted Roma`s defense and struck. A defensive error by Tsimikas allowed him to fire a right-footed shot under the crossbar, putting Lille ahead in the 6th minute. Roma`s response was sluggish. The Giallorossi attempted a high press, but this was the only visible sign of “Gasperinism”; penetrating the opponent`s box proved difficult. In their build-up play, Roma appeared rushed, too eager to seek depth. One of the few well-constructed attacks led to a triple opportunity: a run by Wesley, followed by Tsimikas, Soulé, and El Aynaoui attempting to finish, but they were blocked first by Mbemba, then by goalkeeper Ozer, and finally by Mandi, who cleared El Aynaoui`s tap-in off the line – the only real highlight of his game. By then, it was already the 35th minute. Shortly before, Lille had created another scare with a Haraldsson-Sahraoui combination, whose diagonal shot went just wide. Genesio`s team relied on Giroud`s physicality upfront and, more importantly, on the quality of their midfielders: the young 2007-born Bouaddi in the center was dazzling, Haraldsson moved tirelessly across the pitch, and Bentaleb calmly dictated play.
Second Half: Penalty Drama and Missed Opportunities
The second half began with Rensch replacing Tsimikas, but Lille remained dangerous: a cross from Correia to Giroud, who opted for a flick-on instead of a shot, and then a solo run by Olivier, set up by Bentaleb, saw Svilar denying him. Mancini and El Shaarawy were Gasperini`s responses, yet Roma`s attack continued to lack penetration: Ferguson struggled to hold the ball and was only noticeable for a header from a Soulé corner. Genesio`s substitutions injected pace into the French attack: Fernandez-Pardo accelerated on the left, while Sahraoui`s finish was poor. Soulé upped the tempo on Roma`s right flank and, in the 34th minute, took a corner: a handball by Mandi led to a VAR review and a penalty. From the spot, Dovbyk took a weak left-footed shot, saved by Ozer, with Perraud clearing, but he had entered the box prematurely. The penalty was retaken. Dovbyk again stepped up: another weak left-footed effort, which Ozer pushed wide for a corner, but the goalkeeper had moved off his line before the kick. Another retake. This time, Soulé took the penalty: he changed his angle, but Ozer saved that shot too. And this time, the save was legal. The triple error deflated Roma, who at least managed to avoid conceding a second goal on a 3-on-2 counter-attack, which Fernandez-Pardo concluded, only to be blocked by Svilar. Koné`s late attempt from outside the box went just wide.
