Colosseum roars, Bologna strikes: Roma's epic comeback ends in heartbreak
Reading Time: 2min | Fri. 20.03.26. | 11:15
From 1-3 to 3-3 in a frenzy of fire and faith, but Cambiaghi silences the Olimpico in an extra-time thriller (3-4)
It felt like ancient Rome had come back to life.
The ground trembled beneath 72,000 roaring fans, the Stadio Olimpico turned into a modern-day Colosseum - fierce, deafening, unforgiving.
Roma's supporters delivered a spectacle for the ages. Flags, flares, and a wall of sound pushed their team beyond the brink. And for a moment, it worked.
From 1-3 down, the Giallorossi rose like gladiators. Goals from Donyell Malen and Lorenzo Pellegrini inside an electric 10-minute spell dragged the game to 3-3 and forced extra time. The Olimpico believed. Rome believed, but Bologna never blinked.
Calm, ruthless, almost immune to the chaos around them, they waited for their moment, and took it. In the 111th minute, Nicolo Cambiaghi delivered the final blow, firing past Svilar to silence a stadium that had been shaking just seconds before.
From thunder to silence in an instant.
Roma had thrown everything into the fight - heart, pride, desperation - but it wasn't enough. Even a late penalty shout couldn't revive them, leaving room for debate long after the final whistle.
Seven goals in 120 minutes, and a night that had everything, except a happy ending for the hosts.
For Bologna, it's a statement victory and a ticket to face Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.
For the Giallorossi, it's a brutal collapse of dreams, within days of a damaging league defeat, their European hopes have now gone up in smoke.
From divine euphoria to total despair - all in one unforgettable Roman night.
UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - ROUND OF 16
Return leg
Wednesday
Braga - Ferencvaros 4-0 (3-0)
/Horta 11, 53, Grillitsch 15, Martinez 34/
Thursday
Freiburg - Genk 5-1 (2-1)
/Ginter 19, Matanovic 25, Grifo 53, Suzuki 56, Eggstein 79 - Smets 39/
Midtjylland - Nottingham Forest 1-2 (0-1)
/Erlic 69 - Domínguez 40, Yates 52/
Olympique Lyon - Celta 0-2 (0-0)
/Rueda 61, Jutgla 90+2/
Aston Villa - Lille 2-0 (0-0)
/McGinn 54, Bailey 85/
Betis - Panathinaikos 4-0 (2-0)
/Ruibal 8, Amrabat 45' + 1, Hernandez 53, Antony 66/
Porto - Stuttgart 2-0 (1-0)
/Gomes 21, Froholdt 72/
Roma - Bologna 3-4 a.e.t (1-2)
/Ndicka 32, Malen 69(p), Pellegrini 80 - Rowe 22, Bernardeschi 45+2(p), Castro 58, Cambiaghi 122/