Roma edge to their first Europa League win of the season against Dynamo Kyiv
It’s been a miserable start to the season for the Giallorossi, who’d won just two of their opening 10 matches across all competitions prior to kick-off. Ivan Juric’s men have struggled for goals, netting just one in their prior three outings, so an incredibly cagey opening period perhaps wasn't a surprise.
The hosts were dominating possession, and by the half’s midway point, they’d earned themselves a penalty. Nifty footwork from Tommaso Baldanzi saw him skip away from Taras Mykhavko, prompting the defender to haul him to the ground on his way into the box.
Artem Dovbyk stepped up and confidently converted from 12 yards to score before the break for the fourth time already this season.
Baldanzi then cut inside and fired wide as Roma threatened to take complete control, but the visitors stood firm and soon announced themselves as a threat. Eduardo Guerrero headed over the bar before Oleksandr Tymchyk showed exquisite chest control to bring a cross under his spell and volley inches wide of the target.
Guerrero then fired a low shot straight at Mile Svilar, while Denys Popov had a strike ruled out for offside as the half-time whistle arrived at a good time for Roma.
Reeling before the break, the Giallorossi were dominant after it, yet translating that into clear-cut chances was proving difficult. As a result, Juric turned to his bench and introduced Lorenzo Pellegrini and Paulo Dybala for inspiration, but the hosts continued to struggle as tension spread around the Olimpico.
Their nerves weren’t helped when Svilar came for a corner and failed to connect properly, but much to his relief, Mykola Mykhailenko could only head wide.
The hosts soon reasserted themselves, but chances continued to go begging, most notably from Eldor Shomurodov, who somehow fired wide after a sensational intricate move. Those misses would not prove costly though, as Roma saw out an important victory that could kickstart their UEL campaign. Chances of progression look slim for Dynamo, however, as their winless run in this competition reached 11 matches thanks to an 18th defeat from their last 27 meetings with Italian opposition.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Tommaso Baldanzi (AS Roma)
