Gervinho was not enough, as Roma were held to a deeply disappointing 1-1 home draw by Feyenoord.
The Giallorossi were in dire need of a boost after crashing out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, plus a run of five consecutive home stalemates in Serie A. They dropped down to the Europa League and hosted a Feyenoord side that hadn’t won a springtime UEFA tie since 2002.
Gervinho was not enough, as Roma were held to a deeply disappointing 1-1 home draw by Feyenoord.
The Giallorossi were in dire need of a boost after crashing out of the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, plus a run of five consecutive home stalemates in Serie A. They dropped down to the Europa League and hosted a Feyenoord side that hadn’t won a springtime UEFA tie since 2002.
The injury crisis continued with Douglas Maicon, Juan Manuel Iturbe, Victor Ibarbo and Kevin Strootman sidelined, so 18-year-old Daniele Verde was given a start. The visitors missed defender Sven van Beek.
Gervinho was sent clear by Francesco Totti and Verde, but fired wide under pressure from Luke Wilkshire, then Miralem Pjanic turned over following another good move.
The Giallorossi did break the deadlock when Vasilis Torosidis rolled across from the right for Gervinho to anticipate Wilkshire and tap in from six yards. It was the Ivory Coast international’s first club goal of 2015.
Wilkshire was not 100 per cent fit and limped off after just half an hour. Verde fired over, but Lukasz Skorupski needed a tricky save to deny Colin Kazim-Richards at the near top corner.
It wasn’t enough and Feyenoord punished Roma for their lack of intensity. Skorupski did very well to fingertip a Lex Immers header on to the woodwork and Kazim-Richards reacted quicker to turn in the rebound. Replays suggest the goalscorer was offside in the build-up.
The Giallorossi had reason to feel nervous, as they hadn’t won a competitive 90-match on home turf since November 30.
Kazim-Richards got past Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, but his cross for Immers was intercepted by Skorupski, while Karim El Ahmadi drilled wide and the young goalkeeper fumbled a seemingly simple Jens Toornstra free kick.
Gervinho sprung the offside trap only to nod wide, while Seydou Doumbia was denied by a last-gasp Khalid Boulahrouz tackle. On the resulting corner, Doumbia couldn’t make contact with a Seydou Keita header.
As has happened so often in recent weeks, Roma failed to step up a gear and were pegged back on home turf. The final whistle was greeted by loud jeers around the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma 1-1 Feyenoord
Scorers: Gervinho 22 (R), Kazim-Richards 55 (F)
Roma: Skorupski; Torosidis, Manolas, Yanga-Mbiwa, Holebas; Nainggolan, De Rossi (Keita 65), Pjanic; Gervinho, Totti (Doumbia 65), Verde (Florenzi 75)
Feyenoord: Vermeer; Wilkshire (Karsdorp 30), Boulahrouz, Kongolo, Nelom; El Ahmadi, Immers, Clasie; Toornstra, Kazim-Richards, Trindade de Vilhena
Ref: Hategan (ROU)