Hello, my name is Ollie Stidder and today I will be taking you through the 5:45pm kick-offs in the UEFA Europa League, with our standout fixture being Feyenoord vs AS Roma.
The big team news comes from the hosts with top scorer Santiago Gimenez being on the bench tonight, with Japanese international Ayase Ueda preferred.
Lutsharel Geertruida is ill after he scored in Feyenoord’s derby win vs Sparta Rotterdam at the weekend, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh misses out due to injury.
As for Roma they make 5 changes after they lost to Inter Milan 4-2, despite being 2-1 up at half time.
Both sides are no strangers to facing each other, Roma beat them 1-0 in the first ever UEFA Conference League Final, and last season Roma overcame a first leg deficit against the Dutch side to progress to the Europa League semi final.
The form guide puts Feyenoord as favourites, with them being unbeaten in nine, and Danielle De Rossi’s side suffering a tough defeat on Saturday.
1′ : We are underway at De Kuip, we should be in for a great game.
3′ : A cagey start here, with the Feyenoord fans appealing for everything as they look to press from the off.
6′ : Svilar invites pressure in his own box from Yankuba Minteh, however wins a free kick after the Feyenoord forward trips him up. Closest we’ve got to a goal so far.
8′ : Romelu Lukaku shows his strength holding off a Feyenoord defender before teeing the ball back to Bove whose shot goes behind for a corner, of which nothing comes of.
10′ : That could’ve been special. An inch perfect pass from Paulo Dybala finds Lorenzo Pellegrini in behind who looks to round Timon Wellenreuther but is stopped via a vital hand. The rebound is brilliantly headed off the line by David Hancko but the flag subsequently goes up for offside.
15′ : Lukaku is proving to be a problem for Thomas Beelen, who is penalised for his second foul on Lukaku, and punished with the first yellow card of the game. A free kick in a dangerous area for Roma.
The free kick is deflected out for a corner.
17′ : Another chance for Roma as a cross from deep meets the head of Lukaku however he can only direct his header straight at Wellenreuther.
Embed from Getty ImagesAll the games being played elsewhere, in the Europa League remain goalless.
21′ : As soon as I say that, Feyenoord almost make it 1-0. Igor Paixao goes on a mazey dribble jinking past the Roma defenders but he can only drag his shot wide of the left post. Best chance yet.
IN OTHER NEWS, Galatasaray have taken the lead in Turkey, Kerem Demirbay the scorer as they lead Sparta Prague 1-0 in the 20th minute. Commentator’s curse strikes again.
24′ : Feyenoord are cranking up the pressure. Mats Wieffer brings the ball forward, space opens up in front of him and he decides to have a go from 25 yards however Svilar easily gathers.
26′ : Why would you do that? Zalewski’s first real involvement comes from a lovely diagonal pass over the top of Bart Nieuwkoop, he has a clear sight of goal but try the unselfish thing of laying it back but Feyenoord intercept.
27′ : It should not be goalless, a cross from the right falls onto the head of Paixao who this time directs it straight at Svilar.
Embed from Getty Images30′ : The camera pans to Feyenoord’s top scorer, Santiago Gimenez, could he be the man to break the deadlock when or if he gets onto the pitch?
ANOTHER GOAL ELSEWHERE! Sporting take the lead against Young Boys, an own goal from young defender Aurele Amenda gives the Portuguese side a lead.
35′ : A controversial decision as Minteh brings the ball forward, but the whistle goes a mere five seconds later as he’s penalised for a foul on Zalewski who dramatically falls and then the Gambia international is booked. Robbie Savage, reporting on TNT Sports does not agree with that decision and rightly so. Never a foul, never a yellow.
Embed from Getty Images40′ : WOW WHAT A SAVE FROM WELLENREUTHER! Leandro Paredes shoots from 30 odd yards and it looks to be sailing into the top right corner, but the fingertips of the German helps it onto the bar. Zalewski then has a chance to but a ball in only for a brilliant tackle from Nieuwkoop puts it behind for a corner.
Embed from Getty ImagesTWO GOALS IN BERN! Sporting double their lead through a penalty from the in-form Viktor Gyokeres, but two minutes later Filip Ugrinic pulls one back, if only the goals would appear in this game…
45′: Two chances in a minute for Roma, Dybala shoots from a tight angle but is prevented by Wellenreuther again, from the following corner Lukaku has another attempt with his head and another one which goes straight at Wellenreuther.
45+’ : GOALLLLLL! WE HAVE LIFT OFF.
Right on the stroke of half time, Quilindschy Hartman puts a delicious ball onto the head of Igor Paixao who peels away from Llorente, and his header cannot be stopped by Svilar. Really harsh on Roma but ecstasy for the hosts.
HALF TIME: Feyenoord 1-0 AS Roma.
The half ends in Feyenoord’s favour, with the game being end to end. Wellenreuther’s save, Paixao’s goal, we’ve been gifted some moments of brilliance but hopefully more to come. Can Roma salvage something from this game?
46′ : Back underway at De Kuip. No substitutions. Feyenoord have almost immediately won a free kick on the edge of the Roma penalty area. Llorente is booked for the foul on Ueda.
47′ : The resulting free kick is blocked.
ELSEWHERE IN TURKEY AND SWITZERLAND:
49′ : Play resumes after a Roma player was treated for a head injury.
51′ : Rick Karsdorp wins the second ball and gives it Dybala. His swivels and looks to curl it into the far corner but his effort is too high and goes behind for a goal kick.
54′ : All Roma so far. A Spinazzola cross from the left finds Lukaku’s head again but the header is too high and out for another goal kick.
59′ : A dull five minutes as neither side have had any real opportunities, Gimenez is ready to come on for Feyenoord. Ondrej Lingr the other and it’s Minteh and Ueda to be replaced.
GALA LEAD AGAIN! The goal panel haven’t decided if it’s Dries Mertens’ or an own goal but straight away Victor Nelsson is sent off for Galatasaray.
IT’S ABOUT TIME HE SCORED!
67′ : HE STILL CAN’T SCORE WITH HIS HEAD, IT’S HIS SHOULDER! Lukaku meets another Spinazzola cross from the left and somehow diverts it into the far corner, but it has been coming.
Embed from Getty ImagesGOALS EVERYWHERE but here’s the updates:
Marseille went 1-0 through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but Mykola Matvienko pipped them back five minutes later.
Sparta Prague have equalised for a second time and it’s Jan Kuchta who’s put them level.
73′ : An audacious attempt from Gimenez. He goes for the overhead kick but that’s blocked and then Wieffer has a go but Paulo Dybala does incredibly well to block and play is halted to allow Dybala to get up.
76′ : The Feyenoord fans aren’t getting quieter, can they snatch a winner?
80′ : Into the last 10 minutes in Holland.
Another Red Card in Turkey! Matej Rynes has received a second yellow for Sparta Prague making it 10 apiece for players.
83′ : Its taken me this long to read but that Lukaku goal makes him joint top scorer in Europa League history alongside Rademel Falcao. Can he put himself in the history books and send Roma back home with an aggregate lead?
89′ : Great strike and great save. Svilar sticks an arm out to stop Gimenez’s powerful drive from getting past him. Milambo then wins a free kick on the right side of the box.
90+’ : THE POST TO ROMA’S RESCUE. The free kick from Ivanusec strikes the outside of Svilar’s near post.
YOUNG BOYS RED CARD – Mohamed Camara surely ends Young Boys’ hopes of salvaging anything.
MARSEILLE HAVE SURELY WON IT! Illiman Ndiaye puts the French side in front in injury time.
GALA 3-2! Icardi has already provided two assists (depending on if the second was an own goal) and now has a goal for himself. So Much Drama.
THERE’S NO WAY! SHAKTAR LEVEL IN THE 93rd MINUTE.
90+6′ : That was the chance, Ivanusec plays a one two but the return pass is too heavy for the Croatian and the ball is directed to Svilar.
FULL TIME: Feyenoord 1-1 AS Roma
Thank you so much for tuning in for this live blog, an eventful game which ends level after Feyenoord took the lead through Paixao on the stroke of half time, only for Romelu Lukaku put Roma level with his shoulder and put himself level with Radamel Falcao in the all time Europa League goalscoring charts.
Elsewhere it ended:
Shaktar Donetsk 2-2 Olympique de Marseille
Young Boys 1-3 Sporting CP
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague
I’ll be back next week to cover yet another Europa League game where the stakes are higher with it being the second leg. I’ll be back here at 5:45 to provide you with even more live updates across all of the ‘early’ kick-offs so be sure not to miss it.
Thank you and Bye for now.
