Salzburg v Roma Live Commentary & Result, 16/2/23, UEFA Europa League

Thanks for joining us for live coverage of Salzburg's 1-0 victory over Roma in the first leg of their Europa League play-off match.

Salzburg have a lead to defend, but Roma will still fancy their chances of progressing to the last 16 with a strong performance back at the Stadio Olimpico on February 23. Both teams are in domestic action before then, with Salzburg facing WSG Tirol on Sunday while Roma host Verona.

The referee blows the full-time whistle, and it is Salzburg who will take a 1-0 lead into the second leg after an 88th-minute goal from Capaldo. The hosts were perhaps fortunate not to be behind when Belotti shot from close range after a corner, but Kohn made a vital stop to punch it onto his crossbar. Capaldo then put his team ahead, nodding home a powerful header from Pavlovic's excellent cross to put the Austrian champions a goal up in the tie.

90' + 5' FULL-TIME: SALZBURG 1-0 ROMA

O. Gloukh

Yellow Card

90' + 4' Gloukh is booked now for preventing a quick free-kick being taken.

Ibañez

Yellow Card

90' + 2' Ibanez is cautioned for dissent for his protests at the referee giving a goal-kick to the hosts.

90' The fourth official puts up his board and indicates there will be four minutes of additional time at the end of this match.

S. Pavlović

Assist

88' Pavlovic's delivery from the left was brilliant to allow Capaldo to nod Salzburg in front.

N. Capaldo

Goal

88' GOAL!!! Salzburg take the lead!!! Pavlovic works the space for a cross, and his pinpoint delivery finds the head of Capaldo. The midfielder's powerful header flies into the back of the net, giving Patricio no chance. The hosts lead 1-0 with what could end up being a massive goal in the tie.

88' Can either team find a goal to put themselves ahead in the tie?

S. Koïta

Yellow Card

86' Koita is yellow-carded for standing in the way of a Roma free-kick.

S. Pavlović

Yellow Card

84' Pavlovic is booked for bringing down Belotti, meaning he will miss the return leg.

S. Koïta

N. Okafor

82' Okafor makes way for Koita.

O. Gloukh

L. Sučić

82' Gloukh comes on for Sucic.

81' Off the bar! A corner comes into the Salzburg box, and Smalling heads back across goal. Belotti flings a leg at it, but Kohn makes a huge save to paw it onto the woodwork before gratefully grabbing hold of the ball.

80' Mancini momentarily looks in pain on the turf as he grabs at his neck, but he is up and okay to continue.

78' Dedic drills a low delivery across goal, but Smalling is well-placed to clear before any Salzburg player can tap home.

76' Adamu is left in a heap after a heavy tackle by Ibanez, but the referee rules it a fair challenge and waves play on.

A. Belotti

T. Abraham

74' Abraham comes off for Belotti up top for the visitors.

G. Wijnaldum

L. Pellegrini

74' Pellegrini is replaced by Wijnaldum.

73' Close! Pellegrini swings another threatening corner into the box, and it again finds Cristante at the near post. Unfortunately for Roma, his glancing header goes the wrong side of the post and into the side netting.

70' Seiwald makes a vital interception to nick the ball away from Zalewski, who was charging towards goal at pace.

68' There has not been a shot on target in the second half so far.

65' Pellegrini whips a dangerous corner in, but Cristante's header is blocked behind before it can reach Kohn's goal. The second set-piece then comes to nothing.

63' Will Jaissle's change up front make a difference?

J. Adamu

Fernando

60' Fernando makes way for Adamu.

59' Roma have scored at least once in each of their last 33 games in Europe – the last side to score in more games consecutively were Paris Saint-Germain between September 2016 and August 2020 (34). Could that streak come to an end here?

56' Capaldo shoots from range, and it deflects off Ibanez and then Smalling before dipping agonisingly past the post. That had Patricio scrambling to his left.

54' Salzburg are winless in their last four matches in the UEFA Europa League (one draw, three defeats), last going on a longer such run between February 2015 and October 2016 when losing five games consecutively.

52' Prior to Sucic's shot, Pellegrini was brought down in midfield. The Roma man needed some treatment afterwards, but he is now back up and playing.

50' Sucic fires at goal from outside the box but it comes awkwardly off his foot, bounces off the ground and hits Fernando in an offside position.

48' Roma have now failed to score a first-half goal in five of their seven Europa League games this season.

46' The hosts get us back underway for the second half.

Z. Çelik

P. Dybala

46' Dybala makes way for Celik at the break.

With a daunting trip to the Stadio Olimpico for the second leg, you would think Salzburg will be the side pressing to get their noses in front in the tie with a win here. They started the first half very well but faded as it went on. Can they come out in the second period with renewed vigour and secure a positive result before their trip to the Italian capital on February 23?

The referee blows the whistle for half-time, bringing an intriguing opening 45 minutes to a close. The scoreline is 0-0, but both teams have had chances to get in front. The hosts were much the better team in the opening 20 minutes, though Patricio was forced into just the one save, a comfortable stop down to his right from Capaldo. Roma grew into the game and had the biggest chance of the half when a brilliant Cristante pass set Abraham in on goal just before the interval, but Kohn made a fine stop with his outstretched right arm to prevent Mourinho's men going ahead.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: SALZBURG 0-0 ROMA

45' There will be two minutes of additional time at the end of this first half.

43' What a chance! Abraham is played through on goal from Cristante's long throughball, and the former Chelsea man does well to shift onto his right foot and set himself up to shoot. He fires towards goal, but Kohn makes a big stop to deny him and then gather the ball before El Sharaawy can prod home the rebound.

41' Seiwald has impressed on the left for the hosts so far, making five key passes, three more than any other player on the pitch has managed.

39' Salzburg's attacking threat has faded since their strong start, not registering a shot since the 14th minute. All five of Roma's attempts have come since then.

36' The game has just hit a bit of a lull with both sides trying to probe for an opening. Can either team find a goal before the break?

34' Roma are unbeaten against Austrian opponents in Europe, with a record of three wins and three draws from games against FC Wacker Innsbruck, FK Austria Wien and RZ Pellets WAC.

32' El Sharaawy was shaken up after that incident, but he is okay to continue and play resumes.

30' Roma scream for a penalty after El Shaarawy collides with Gourna-Douath and goes down, but the referee waves away the protests.

28' After a tricky opening period, the visitors have just started to pick the ball up in some more threatening areas as they look to bring a positive result back to the Stadio Olimpico for the second leg.

26' Abraham again gets his head on the end of a cross, but he can only nod wide of the left post.

24' That is much better from Roma, as El Sharaawy beats his man before picking out Abraham with a brilliant cross. Unfortunately for Mourinho's men, the striker's header is straight at Kohn.

23' A couple of attempts from range by Roma are blocked before they get close to troubling Kohn.

20' El Sharaawy does well to win a free-kick and relieve some of the pressure the visitors have been under.

18' The Giallorossi are the eighth different Italian side that Salzburg have faced in Europe.

15' The ball falls kindly for Fernando in the opposition box, but Roma's defence do well to get in the way of his shot.

13' The hosts have started the much brighter of the two teams, already having five shots. The visitors are yet to have an attempt.

11' Okafor cuts onto his right foot and curls towards goal, and it is not too far away as it flies just over the crossbar. Patricio looked to have it covered though.

9' Capaldo forces the first save of the match, though Patricio gets down comfortably to his right to gather the low effort.

8' Sucic lets fly with an ambitious long-range effort, but it ends up going well over Patricio's crossbar.

7' This is the first European meeting between Salzburg and Roma.

5' Matic clips the heels of Fernando in midfield, giving Salzburg a free-kick, though it comes to nothing as Sucic drags a shot well wide with the first attempt of the contest.

3' It has been a cagey start as both teams try to settle into this big game.

1' The visitors kick us off and we are underway!

The two teams make their way onto the pitch.

Visiting boss Jose Mourinho names an unchanged side from the 1-1 draw with Lecce at the weekend, with striker Abraham supported by Pellegrini and Dybala. Llorente, signed in the January window from Leeds United, again starts on the bench.

Home head coach Matthias Jaissle makes just one change from Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Austria Lustenau as Gourna-Douath replaces Kjaergaard in midfield. Fernando continues to play up front alongside Okafor.

SUBS: Diego Llorente, Mehmet Zeki Celik, Rick Karsdorp, Mohamed Camara, Mile Svilar, Georginio Wijnaldum, Marash Kumbulla, Pietro Boer, Leonardo Spinazzola, Edoardo Bove, Cristian Volpato, Andrea Belotti.

ROMA (3-4-2-1): Rui Patricio; Gianluca Mancini, Chris Smalling, Roger Ibanez; Nicola Zalewski, Bryan Cristante, Nemanja Matic, Stephan El Shaarawy; Paulo Dybala, Lorenzo Pellegrini; Tammy Abraham.

SUBS: Alexander Walke, Maurits Kjaergaard, Jerome Onguene, Benjamin Sesko, Bernardo, Sekou Koita, Samson Baidoo, Ignace van der Brempt, Forson Amankwah, Oscar Gloukh, Chukwubuike Adamu, Adam Stejskal.

SALZBURG (4-3-1-2): Philipp Kohn; Amar Dedic, Oumar Solet, Strahinja Pavlovic, Andreas Ulmer; Nicolas Seiwald, Lucas Gourna-Douath, Nicolas Capaldo; Luka Sucic; Fernando, Noah Okafor.

The visitors claimed their first European title in club history by winning the 2021-22 Europa Conference League, and won three of their Group C matches in this term's Europa League to finish second in the group and reach this stage. The Giallorossi have lost just one Serie A game since November, against runaway leaders Napoli, and sit fourth in the league to give them a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.

The perennial Austrian Bundesliga champions hold a six-point lead at the top of their domestic league as they bid to win a 10th title in a row, and though they only won one of their Champions League group-stage matches, their third-placed finish in Group E earned them a spot in this round of the Europa League. They came close to lifting this trophy in 1994, but ultimately lost in the final to Italian giants Inter over two legs.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Europa League play-off first leg between Salzburg and Roma at the Red Bull Arena.

Salzburg v Roma Live Commentary, 17/2/23

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