Roma suffered a shock defeat to Ludogorets to open their Europa League campaign, as Eldor Shomurodov’s temporary equaliser was immediately wiped out by Nonato.
The Giallorossi won the Conference League last season, their first ever major UEFA tournament, and started the Europa League in Bulgaria. Tammy Abraham and Rick Karsdorp joined Marash Kumbulla, Nicolò Zaniolo, Stephan El Shaarawy and Georginio Wijnaldum on the absentee list after a 4-0 Serie A defeat to Udinese.
Former Cagliari winger Kiril Despodov immediately sprinted away from Gianluca Mancini and tried to roll it across for Tekpetey, but it flashed just past him and the far post.
Roma were unlucky on a couple of corners when Lorenzo Pellegrini forced a save at the back post, then moments later Mancini’s header bounced off the upright.
Paulo Dybala’s strike was charged down and then he sent Pellegrini through for a lob just over the bar, while Piotrowski tested Svilar from distance.
It was Ludogorets who took the lead when Cauly cut inside from the right and a run by Igor Tiago created a canyon through the centre of the Roma defence, so he could sweep in past Svilar relatively undisturbed.
Moments later, Cauly almost had a second with his header just wide.
Pellegrini’s scorcher was acrobatically fingertipped over the bar and the captain also nodded a corner wide at the back post.
Eldor Shomurodov came off the bench and equalised, using his head to simply guide the Pellegrini cross from the by-line in.
However, moments later Ludogorets restored their advantage with substitute Nonato, whose little shimmy sent Roger Ibanez to ground and created the gap for the angled drive.
Leonardo Spinazzola’s lob was palmed out from under the bar and Shomurodov flashed an angled drive just across the face of goal in stoppages.
Ludogorets 2-1 Roma
Cauly 72 (L), Shomurodov 86 (R), Nonato 88 (L)
Roma a load of rubbish
Mourinho OUT. Tuchel IN
Ludogorets was too good for ROMA. Greetings from Bulgaria.
Roma were awful tonight, not so much the result, but to lose to such truly poor opposition. Hopefully we can still turn it around.
Pull yourself together in Europe and build new stadiums in Italy NOW.
no one in their right mind could appoint Mourinho in 2021, he is way way way past it
Shomurodov grow and only go. We believe in you.