Yet they started the second half brightly, with Roma’s Gianluca Mancini diverting an early Feyenoord corner on to his own post. Photograph: Fabio Rossi/AS Roma/Getty Imagesįeyenoord, aiming to be the first Dutch club to win a European competition in 20 years, since their 2002 Uefa Cup triumph, failed to really test Rui Patrício in the Roma goal in the first half. Nicolò Zaniolo (left) celebrates with Gianluca Mancini after scoring the opening goal for Roma against Feyenoord. Zaniolo also became the youngest Italian to score in a major European final since Alessandro Del Piero against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in May 1997. One chance was all they needed to hold the lead at the interval, with Zaniolo brilliantly bringing the ball down on his chest before slotting in his first goal in all competitions since a hat-trick in the quarter-final against Bodo/Glimt. Given both Roma and Feyenoord came into the contest having already secured Europa League football for next season through their domestic league positions, it was all about the glory in Tirana.Įarly on it looked like there was only going to be one winner, as Roma dominated, without troubling Feyenoord goalkeeper Justin Bijlow, playing his first match since 10 March “I said yesterday that I never would’ve imagined at the age of 25 to achieve this with the Roma jersey and the captain’s armband. Now we have to celebrate and then start again, which is always difficult after a great victory, but a real team wins, celebrates and starts again. The Roma captain, Lorenzo Pellegrini, told Sky Sport Italia: “We are a real team, we proved that. ![]() We struggled in the second half, our opponents played well and they forced us to make defensive changes. This is a fantastic group of players, that makes me emotional. We reached the final being tired, but we worked on it, kept it hidden. You need many ingredients,” Mourinho said in the post-match press conference. Roma, whose only previous continental title was the Fairs Cup in 1961, held off a spirited comeback from their Dutch opponents, who were twice denied by the woodwork in the second half, and ensured that Mourinho became the first manager to win a European trophy with four different clubs. We have to be ready, both physically and mentally.The 22-year-old Zaniolo earned Roma victory with an expert finish in the 32nd minute, as he became the first Italian to score in a European final since Filippo Inzaghi against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League. We have recharged our batteries during the international break and are ready for a run of nine games in 30 days. Vincenzo Italiano, Fiorentina coach: "This is an important month for us and it is crucial we go into it with the utmost confidence. I played in Serie A against this Fiorentina team, so I know what to expect. It will be a nice journey for me – there are some guys at Fiorentina whom I've played with – so it will be an interesting game. If we want to go further, we need to get a good result in front of them in Poznan."īartosz Salamon, Lech defender: "At this stage, you just have to come out with as much enthusiasm as possible and enjoy where you are. We have great fans behind us, who also travel with us away from home. ![]() It's a 50/50 match: we can win and we can lose, but our spirits are high."ĭariusz Dudka, Lech assistant coach: "I played against Fiorentina so I am happy to have the opportunity to return there. I have faith in my team and I'm sure our fans will help us: we win a lot at home. Fiorentina are strong and this is a motivation for us. John van den Brom, Lech coach: "We are still not satisfied just because we have come this far. The city is not far from Poznań geographically, but reaching the showpiece seems a huge task. Bartosz Bosacki, Lech's former captain, said in an interview for UEFA TV that the team have to aim for the final in Prague. The general feeling is that Fiorentina are favourites, especially because they have been in very good form recently, but Lech have nothing to lose. Tickets have immediately sold out and the atmosphere will be electric. It is also one of the most important games in Lech Poznań's history. Piotr Koźmiński, match reporter This is going to be the most important football event this week in Poland, as clubs from the country are rarely involved in European competition at such a late stage. Highlights: Sivasspor 1-4 Fiorentina Expert prediction
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |