UEL: Lukaku scores the winner in Moldova

After a disappointing loss in the Europa League final in 2023, AS Roma started the new campaign in the same competition with a long and exausing trip to Tiraspol, to face Sheriff from Moldova. The goal was clear, to win the match and Roma's players did it, without Jose Mourinho, who begin serving his four-match UEFA ban for insulting the referee in last year's final. The game was not interesting, Giallorossi struggled but made in the end with Lukaku's winning goal: Sheriff – Roma 1-2.

This season, with such reinforcements like Lukaku, Ndicka, Aouar, Renato Sanchez and Paredes, much is expected out of Roma, but so far, Mourinho's boys only managed a 7-0 thrashing of Empoli. They were second best in all other matches, and it was evident in this game that the team has not yet 'clicked' like it should. But, eventually a lucky Paredes free kick turned into an own goal from Sheriff, before Lukaku used the best (and only) great chance to win the game.

There is not much to say about the first half. The fact that the goal was the only shot on target for both teams in the first 45 minutes says a lot about the quality of the match. Apart from that goal, nothing was going on, as both teams were looking to put the pressure and score first, but in order to do that, you need to create a chance. The second half brought in some bad defending, which is quite ironic, since Roma is a 'defence first' team, and yet it was their defensive mess which allowed the home team to equalize in the 57th minute. Just after we were back to square one, Roma finally made the best chance in the whole game and scored. Dybala got the ball, passed it to Cristante, who assisted to Lukaku with this heel and the Chelsea loanee put the ball in the net for the final score.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - MATCHDAY 1

Thursday

LASK - Liverpool 1-3 (1-0)

/Flecker 14 - Nuneza 56, Diaz 63, Salah 88/

St.Gilloise - Toulouse 1-1 (0-1)

/Amoura 69 - Dallinga 45/

Panathinaikos - Villareal 2-0 (1-0)

/Ionnaidis 38, Sporar 78/

Rennes - Maccabi Haifa 3-0 (2-0)

/Blas 1, Truffert 31, Yildirim 55/

Servette - Slavia Praha 0-2 (0-1)

/Masopust 32, Ogbu 58/

Sheriff Tiraspol - Roma 1-2

/Tovar 57 - Kiki (og) 45-2, Lukaku 65/

Leverkusen - Hacken 4-0 (2-0)

/Wirtz 11, Adli 16, Boniface 66, Hofmann 70/

Qarabag - Molde 1-0 (0-0)

/Andrade 55/

22.00: (2.85) Olympiakos (3.40) Freiburg (2.60)

22.00: (1.12) West Ham (10.0) TSC Backa Topola (16.0)

22.00: (2.60) Ajax (3.50) Olympique Marseille (2.85)

22.00: (1.20) Brighton (6.75) AEK (14.0)

22.00: (2.65) Rangers (3.35) Betis (2.85)

22.00: (1.50) Sparta Praha (4.30) Aris Limmasol (6.50)

22.00: (1.23) Atalanta (6.25) Rakow (13.0)

22.00: (3.90) Sturm (3.60) Sporting (2.05)

***odds are subject to change