Roma snatches a draw in Istanbul in the Champions League second leg

Roma drew 1-1 in Istanbul against Fenerbahçe in their Champions League return after seven years: Gasperini’s team, which took the lead through Cristante in the first half, was equalized by Brown early in the second half and then began to struggle. Svilar made several key saves to preserve the point, and in the closing minutes, the Turks even hit the crossbar. A penalty was awarded to and then rescinded for Roma following a VAR review.

A very determined Roma team went into halftime with the lead in Istanbul. The hosts came out strong and threatened Svilar twice with Greenwood in the opening minutes of the match. In the 21st minute, Dybala, set up by Koné, had an excellent chance, but Ederson made a fine save. In the 39th minute, Roma took the lead: Malen set up Cristante, who fired a diagonal shot that left Ederson with no chance. Before halftime, Wesley had another chance but was off target with his shot.

Right at the start of the second half came a cold shower: Fenerbahçe immediately equalized through Archie Brown. In the 48th minute, the ever-dangerous Greenwood found the former Gent fullback between the lines, and he beat Svilar with an elegant touch. Spurred on by the crowd, the Turks kept pressing, and the Giallorossi goalkeeper made a decisive save on Muriqi’s shot.

Fenerbahce turned up the pressure and threatened again near Roma’s box with Greenwood and Akturkoglu, who were unable to find the net against Svilar. In the 68th minute, referee Gil Manzano first awarded and then rescinded a penalty kick for Gasperini’s team: the foul on Dybala occurred outside the box. On the ensuing free kick, Roma protested Wesley’s fall inside the box, but the referee let play continue.

The Istanbul Kartal coach brings Lukaku into the fray in place of Muriqi, and in the 73rd minute, the Belgian forward delivers a key pass to Aydin: once again, Svilar makes a decisive save to deflect the shot. The match remained evenly balanced, but Roma struggled to create chances as they had in the first half, while Fenerbahçe looked more dangerous. In the 82nd minute, a misplaced backpass by Wesley sends a shiver down Gasperini’s spine, but Svilar is alert and saves the day once again. In the 86th minute, Ake hits the crossbar off a cross from Levent. That’s the final thrill of the match; at the final whistle, the score is 1-1.