On 21 September, one of the matches of the Europa League in football took place. Sheriff (Tiraspol) and Roma (Rome) met.
Europa League
Sheriff (Tiraspol) - Roma (Rome) - 1:2 (0:1)
Goals: C. Tovar (57) - Leandro Paredes (45+). Tovar (57) - Leandro Paredes (45+4), Lukaku (65)
Warnings: A. Talal (45+3), Cristante (56), Gabi Kiki (77), Konstantinos Apostolakis (90+2), Joao Paulo (90+7).
In a thrilling UEFA Europa League match, Tiraspol's Sheriff and Roma came together at the Grand Sports Arena. Both teams were keen to win and the spectators were expecting a tense game, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Roma. The first half started with both teams wanting to dominate the game. Already on 28 minutes Roma made the first substitution, replacing L. Paredes with R. Sanchez. This tactical move was aimed at energising the team and creating opportunities in the attacking third. As the match progressed, the tension grew, which led to an intense altercation between the players. In the 45th minute, A. Talal of Tiraspol's Sheriff received a yellow card for a careless attack, which demonstrated the growing competition on the pitch. However, just before the break, Roma achieved their goal. In the same minute L. Paredes scored a goal, giving his team a confident 1-0 lead. The second half started with a yellow card for Roma midfielder B. Cristante on 56 minutes. This warning had little effect on the determination of Sheriff Tiraspol and they quickly responded. In the 57th minute, K. Tovar from Sheriff Tiraspol equalised the score to the delight of the fans. In the 61st minute, when the game was hanging by a thread, Roma made a number of substitutions. Instead of P. Dybala came S. El Shaarawy, instead of L. Spinazzola - N. Zalewski, and instead of E. Bove - H. Auar. Aouar.
These strategic changes should have breathed new life into Roma's attacking actions and turned the game in their favour. In the 65th minute, Roma regained the lead. R. Lukaku demonstrated his scoring prowess by hitting a shot into the net, which caused a great jubilation of his team-mates. Sheriff Tiraspol fought valiantly, but time was not on their side. In a desperate attempt to change the game, Sheriff Tiraspol made the first substitution in the 71st minute, replacing D. Anchii with Ricardinho. However, luck did not seem to be on their side: in the 77th minute, G. Kiki received a yellow card, which further reduced the chances of success. As time ran out, both teams made additional substitutions to bring new energy and tactical variations to the game. In the 80th minute, A. Belotti came on in place of R. Lukaku for Roma, A. Artunduaga came on in place of K. Apostolakis for Sheriff Tiraspol, and in the 88th minute, K. Tovar came on in place of Louvannor. In the last minutes of the game, the disappointment of Sheriff Tiraspol became obvious: in the 90th minute, K. Apostolakis received a yellow card. Despite all efforts, Sheriff Tiraspol failed to equalise the score, and in the end the victory went to Roma. The large sports arena witnessed an exciting match, leaving the fans in anticipation of new bright events in European football.
In the next round, the following matches await the rivals: Slavia - Sheriff, Roma - Servette.
| Sheriff | Roma | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 6 |
| 12 | Kicks | 15 |
| 1 | Blocked shots | 4 |
| 6 | Penalty kicks | 7 |
| 6 | Kicks from outside the penalty box | 8 |
| 15 | Offences | 11 |
| 4 | Corner | 2 |
| 0 | Offsides | 2 |
| 33% | Ball possession | 67% |
| 4 | Yellow cards | 1 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
| 5 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 293 | Total assists | 602 |
| 213 | Accurate assists | 522 |
| 73% | Accuracy of passes | 87% |