Roma paid for a nightmare first half, as the comeback wasn’t enough in a shock 3-2 Champions League defeat to BATE Borisov.
Elsewhere in the group, Barcelona scored twice in two minutes to snatch a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. It leaves the Italians bottom of Group E.
Roma paid for a nightmare first half, as the comeback wasn’t enough in a shock 3-2 Champions League defeat to BATE Borisov.
Elsewhere in the group, Barcelona scored twice in two minutes to snatch a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. It leaves the Italians bottom of Group E.
The Giallorossi missed Francesco Totti, Edin Dzeko, Seydou Keita, Antonio Rudiger and Kevin Strootman, while Iago Falque was only fit for the bench, but Wojciech Szczesny returned faster than expected from a dislocated finger. Champions of Belarus BATE were without Vitali Rodionov and Maksim Zhavnerchik with Aleksandr Hleb not 100 per cent fit.
Gervinho had the first shot on target within 90 seconds, but it was too central to truly trouble Sergei Chernik.
However, it was BATE Borisov who took the lead after chaotic defending failed to cut out a series of passes until Mikhail Gordeichuk hit the underside of the bar and Igor Stasevich nodded in the rebound.
Moments later Szczesny was caught horribly out of position and Filip Mladenovic took advantage, unleashing a surprise shot from 30 metres that flew in at the near post, embarrassing the former Arsenal goalkeeper.
Chernik smothered a low Juan Manuel Iturbe effort, while Alessandro Florenzi and Miralem Pjanic didn’t quite complete their passing move.
Radja Nainggolan’s screamer was punched away and a Pjanic free kick curled wide of the near post.
BATE were dangerous and pacey, going 3-0 up with an extraordinary strike. Mladenovic burst into the box down the left side and without hesitation smashed a fierce left-foot effort under the bar from the tightest of angles. It was remarkable, but at the same time Szczesny was taken by surprise.
It was almost 4-0, as Szczesny beat away a Signevich strike at the near post and Garcia hit the panic button, throwing on Iago Falque for William Vainqueur before half-time.
Salah drilled wide after a give-and-go with Pjanic, while Gervinho was caught offside. Vasilis Torosidis was introduced for the second half, moving Florenzi back into the trident attack. He made an immediate impact, forcing a crucial deflection with his strike.
BATE went so close to a fourth when Maksim Volodko turned on the turbo to keep a seemingly lost ball in play on the counter, but a series of shots were charged down, eventually Daniele De Rossi on Nemanja Nikolic.
Iago Falque had a great chance when cutting in, but it took a bizarre double deflection off a defender and the goalkeeper’s knee.
Gervinho finished off a great team move to get Roma back into the game, as Salah and Iago Falque combined with quick passing to send him into space and he beat the goalkeeper one-on-one.
It should’ve been 3-2 on 73 minutes, but Salah failed to make the most of a lucky ricochet by ballooning over the bar from just inside the box.
Roma were pinning BATE back into their own half and eventually got into the game when Lucas Digne’s cross went past Gervinho, but Vasilis Torosidis controlled to fire in from six yards.
Less than 60 seconds later, Florenzi curled an amazing strike from just inside the area that smacked the underside of the crossbar.
Gervinho aimed a weak finish at the goalkeeper, then Edoardo Soleri – who won’t turn 18 until next month – was given his debut.
BATE Borisov 3-2 Roma
Scorers: Stasevich 8 (B), Mladenovic 12, 30 (B), Gervinho 66 (R), Torosidis 82 (R)
BATE Borisov: Chernik; Polyakov, Dubra, Milunovic, Mladenovic; Nikolic (A Volodko 87), Yablonski; Stasevich, Gordeichuk (Hleb 72), M Volodko (Rios 85); Signevich
Roma: Szczesny; Florenzi (Soleri 93), Manolas, De Rossi, Digne; Pjanic, Vainqueur (Falque 38), Nainggolan; Iturbe (Torosidis 46), Gervinho, Salah
Ref: Clattenburg (ENG)