In a rematch of the first-ever Conference League final, Feyenoord defeated Roma 1-0 in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals at the Roterdam stadium. The game was played without Italian fans due to security concerns, and both goalkeepers, Bijlow and Rui Patrício, had a quiet first half with no serious threats. However, the end of the first half saw the game’s first critical moment when Pellegrini of Roma missed a penalty kick at 43′. The penalty was awarded after a corner kick, as the ball had hit Wieffer’s arm, who had then pulled Abrahams down. However, it was unclear which of the infractions was consecutively punished by the referee. Feyenoord saw their chance to take the lead early in the second half. Idrissi made a magnificent run down the left and caught the Roma defense off guard by delivering a perfect cross toward the front of the penalty area. Wieffer was there to meet the ball with his right foot and struck a first-time shot to the right of Rui Patrício. The ball hit the ground before finding its way into the back of the net. Roma tried to retaliate and equalize, and at 63′, they seemed to have accomplished it from a corner kick on the left. Ibañez headed the ball toward the goal, and the Roma supporters thought it was a goal, but Idrissi saved it with a header off the line, and the ball hit the lower part of the crossbar. Feyenoord kept defending their lead until the final whistle, and the best chance for Roma came in the 87th minute when Wijnaldum shot from long range. He was hoping to score against his beloved club, Feyenoord, but his shot wasn’t strong enough. The victory was crucial for Feyenoord, giving them an edge heading into the second leg in Rome. They will be able to play with relative ease knowing that they just need to tie or lose by one goal to progress to the semifinals. In contrast, Roma needs to win by two goals to advance. Feyenoord’s coach, Dick Advocaat, was pleased with his team’s performance: “It was not an easy game, Roma is an excellent team with good players, but we put in a lot of hard work and were rewarded with a great goal. We could have scored more, but the most important thing is that we kept a clean sheet and won the match.” On the other hand, Roma’s coach, José Mourinho, was disappointed with the missed penalty and the result: “It’s frustrating when you have a chance to take the lead, and you miss it. Feyenoord played a good game and deserved to win, but we still have a chance in the second leg. We need to regroup and focus on winning the game, no matter the obstacles.” The second leg of the quarterfinals will be played on April 20 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and fans will be back in the stadium. The winner will face either Arsenal or AC Milan in the semifinals.
