Good afternoon, I am Oliver Seymour and welcome to tonight’s coverage of the first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoff knockouts. Main coverage will be from Rotterdam as Feyenoord take on AS Roma At De Kuip but we will be keeping you up to date with all the goals as they go in across the continent in the four matches taking place at 17:45 GMT. As Shakhtar Donetsk take on Olympique Marseille, BSC Young Boys host Sporting CP and Galatasaray versus Sparta Prague.
The notable news regarding the home side’s starting XI is that top scorer Santiago Gimenez is only on the bench. The Mexican has scored 19 goals in just 20 games for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie campaign so far and has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
As for Roma, new manager Danielle De Rossi has gone strong, with Romelu Lukaku leading the line. The Belgian, with Argentinian star Paulo Dybala alongside him, will be looking to continue his impressive form in this competition. Lukaku has scored 20 goals in his last 17 UEFA Europa League matches, failing to score in only one of those.
0′ – The Teams are out here in Rotterdam, the flares alight and the anthem plays. Kick-Off is imminent!
Embed from Getty Images1′ – The ball is rolling and we are off, what an atmosphere in De Kuip!
2′ – The Feyenoord fans behind Svilar’s goal claim for a penalty as Ueda is brought down when attempting to shield the ball, waved away by the referee
6′ – Minteh looks to close down Svilar but is judged to have gone in too hard on the Roma goalkeeper and is penalised. A lively start here in Rotterdam!
7′ – The first corner of the game goes to Roma as a long ranged Bove strike is deflected wide, it’s a poor effort and easily cleared by Feyenoord
9′ – BIG CHANCE! – Dybala has an effort cleared headed off the line by Feyenoord captain Hancko after the forward originally played through Pellegrini with a superb through ball
12′ – Feyenoord win their first corner of the evening, it’s high towards the back-post but claimed well by Svilar
14′ – The first yellow card is awarded to Roma 20 yards from goal as Lukaku shows his strength and is eventually brought down by Feyenoord defender Beelen, Pellegrini’s strike hits the wall and deflects out for a corner
16′ CHANCE! Lukaku has his first sight of goal. A good cross from the right hand side finds the head of the Belgian but it’s straight into the arms of Wellenreuther
18′ Feyenoord find themselves in the Roma defensive third and win another corner as Spinazzola defends a cross, it goes over the heads of everyone and the Roma keeper collects the cross from the other end of the pitch
20′ – BIG CHANCE!! – Some fantastic footwork by Paixao sees him into the penalty area but he drags his shot wide with the goal gaping, should be 1-0 Feyenoord!
21′ – CHANCE! Stengs has an effort which is comfortably saved by Svilar
GOAL – Kerem Demirbay gives Galatasaray the lead in Istanbul over Sparta Prague in the 19th minute
23′ – CHANCE! Another shot on target for Feyenoord. Wieffer drives forward and lets fly as a gap appears on the edge of the box but Svilar saves. The home side are starting to look threatening on the break
25′ – BIG CHANCE!! – Zalewski has space and time in the Feyenoord box to take an effort on goal but instead tries to pass to the marked Lukaku and the ball is cleared. A wasted opportunity for De Rossi’s team
27′ – CHANCE! – A dangerous cross from Nieuwkoop is floated into the Roma penalty area, the ball bounces of Paixao and claimed by Svilar
GOAL – An own goal by Aurele Amenda gives Sporting CP the lead in Bern in the 31st minute!
32′ CHANCE! – A loose ball breaks to Minteh on the left hand side of the Roma penalty area but his strike is blocked
34′ – Yellow card for Minteh as the Feyenoord man’s outstreched arm caught Zalewski in the face, the resulting free-kick is easily cleared by the home side
37′ – It’s been an intense first half so far with both teams looking threatening on the break. There’s certainly goals to come in this one!
Embed from Getty Images39′ – CROSSBAR!! What an effort and what save! A superb strike from Parades 25 yards from goal is tipped over by Wellenreuther. What a goal that would’ve been!
Embed from Getty ImagesGOAL – It’s 0-2 to Sporting as a Viktor Gyokeres penalty doubles their lead over BSC Young Boys in the 41st minute
GOAL – A minute later Young Boys pull one back through Filip Ugrinic. What a game in Bern!
44′ CHANCE! Some excellent football sees the ball break to Dybala on the left of the Feyenoord penalty area, Wellenreuther saves to force a corner
45′ BIG CHANCE!! – The resulting corner is right on the money as a powerful header from Lukaku is claimed by a grateful Wellenreuther. That very easily could’ve resulted in a Roma opener
45+1 – GOALLLL FOR FEYENOORD!! – De Kuip erupts as the home side lead!! A cross from Hartman on the left hand side meets the unmarked Paixao just yards away from goal who heads home. Poor defending from Roma but Feyenoord open the scoring right at the end of the half
Embed from Getty ImagesHALF-TIME: Cheers all round De Kuip for the half-time whistle as Feyenoord have the lead with a late header from Paixao. Both teams have had chances in an intense opening period but De Rossi will not be pleased with how his team defended for the opening goal, especially so late on in the half. A fascinating second-half awaits!
Elsewhere, BSC Young Boys and Sporting CP are playing out a fantastic contest as the away side lead 1-2. Galatasaray have a 1-0 advantage in Istanbul over Sparta Prague thanks to a goal from Kerem Demirbray, and Shakhtar Donetsk versus Olympique Marseille remains 0-0 at the interval. All the games remain in the balance, how will each of the tides turn?
45′ – Feyenoord get the second half underway in Holland!
46′ – Feyenoord have a free-kick right on the edge of the Roma penalty area as Ueda is brought down when by Llorente when having his back to the Roma defender, the wall does it’s job although Bove seems hurt following his block
GOAL – Sparta Prague are level in Istanbul as Angelo Preciado equalises in the 47th minute following a VAR check
GOAL – It’s 1-3 to Sporting in Bern as defender Inacio restores their two goal lead three minutes into the second half
51′ CHANCE! – Space opens up for Dybala on the edge of the Feyenoord box but the Argentine strikes over. Some encouragement however for Roma
54′ CHANCE! – Another chance for Roma and another header from Lukaku as he leaps and meets a Spinazzola cross but his header flys over the bar
56′ CHANCE! – Yet again it’s another headed chance that goes begging for Roma who have looked strong at the start of the second half. Captain Pellegrini heads wide following a cross from ex-Feyenoord man Karsdorp
GOAL – Galatasary retake the lead over Sparta Prague as Dries Mertens scores in the 61st minute
GOAL – Ex-Arsenal man Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gives Marseille the lead over Shakhtar Donetsk in the 64th minute
GOAL – Another goal in Istanbul as the ten-men of Galatasaray concede a second equaliser, this time from Jan Kuchta for Sparta in the 65th minute
66′ GOALLL FOR AS ROMA!! – De Rossi’s side equalise in De Kuip! This time a header from Lukaku finds the back of the net as he connects from a whipped cross from Spinazzola and his effort glances into the far corner of the net. Game on!
Embed from Getty ImagesGOAL – It’s raining goals in the UEFA Europa League! Mykola Matviienko quickly equalises for the Ukrainian side just minutes after Aubameyang’s opener
73′ CHANCE! A headed block from Llorente denies what would have been a special acrobatic effort from Wieffer. Better from Feyenoord who have not seen much attacking action since the break
80′ – Corner for Feyenoord, easily claimed by Svilar who then goes down and requires treatment from the medical staff
Embed from Getty Images86′ Bove picks up a yellow card for bringing down Lingr, the midfielder will now miss the second leg as a result
89′ BIG CHANCE!! A powerful close-ranged effort from Gimenez is saved well by Svilar, that was close to a late winner for the home side!
90′ – Seven minutes added on
GOAL – Marseille may have won it late on with a goal from Iliman Ndiaye in the 90th minute!
90+1′ – OFF THE POST!! – Feyenoord strike the post in the first minute of added time! Ivanusec smashes the post with a free-kick with the keeper beaten!
GOAL – Scenes in Istanbul as Mauro Icardi scores to make it 3-2 to the home side in the first minute of stoppage time!
GOAL – WOW! Shakhtar hit back in the 93rd minute for 2-2 with a goal through Eguinaldo. Incredible!
90+5 – Two minutes to go here in De Kuip, there’s late drama elsewhere, will we see any in Holland?
FULL-TIME: It’s a draw at De kuip as Arne Slot and Danielle De Rossi shake hands over a 1-1 draw. A fair result in the end in what was a game of two halves as Feyenoord went into the break with a 1-0 lead through a Paixao goal before Romelu Lukaku equalised with a typical header midway through the second half. The result means it’s all to play for at the Stadio Olympico in the second leg for what promises to be an exciting matchup.
And that’s that from us and our coverage of Feyenoord Vs AS Roma and the other UEFA Europa League round 1 playoff knockout ties. Some great goals and exciting games with lots to still be decided in the second legs. It’s a draw at 1-1 between Feyenoord and AS Roma. Sporting CP defeat BSC Young Boys 1-3 in Switzerland, Galatasaray and Sparta Prague play out a 3-2 thriller and Shakhtar Donetsk and Marseille play out an entertaining 2-2 draw. Roll on the second legs in the UEFA Europa League knockouts!
