Leicester City 1-1 AS Roma
by Layth Yousif at Filbert Way

JOSE MOURINHO believes the second leg of this captivating tie will be like a final, after his AS Roma side drew 1-1 at Leicester City in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final on Thursday evening. 

At the raucous Filbert Way, Ademola Lookman’s persistence led to Gianluca Mancini’s 67th minute own goal, to cancel out Giallorosso captain Lorenzo Pellegrini’s first half opener – leaving the match firmly in the balance ahead of next week’s second leg at the Stadio Olympico, as both sides battle to reach the final in the Albanian capital Tirana on May 25. 

After a thrilling contest to leave the outcome finely poised, an impish Mourinho said: “The winner of the Rome ‘final’ has to win the Albanian final,” adding with a foreboding tone for the Foxes: “For us, it makes a difference to play at home with 70,000…if the stadium held 300,000, there would be 300,000 there.”

In a barnstorming match, Jamie Vardy made only his second start for the Foxes during 2022. Boubakary Soumare returned as did Jonny Evans as boss Brendan Rodgers opted for a 4-3-3 formation. While former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham started for the Giallorossi, as did former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling and ex-Arsenal attacker Henrikh Mkhitaryan lined up in coach Mourinho’s preferred 3-5-2 system. 

Backed by their passionate support relishing the drama that European nights provide, the home side went close through Timothy Castagne with only 240 seconds gone. His close-range header from James Maddsion’s deep cross flew narrowly wide. Castagne was to leave the field of play soon afterwards, as a precaution following a head injury.

In a hectic opening, which saw Leicester post 77 per cent possession, Roma’s England striker Tammy Abraham was booked for a foul by Spanish referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande, in the eighth minute, as Rodgers’ side dominated the early stages. 

However, Mourinho’s visitors went 1-0 ahead in the 15th minute, when Giallorossi captain Pellegrini angled a low, left-footed shot through Foxes keeper Kasper Schmeichel. 

The 25-year-old Italy international’s clinical finish came after he latched onto Nicolo Zalewski’s pass — much to the delight of their vociferous travelling fans at the other end of the pitch.

Tempers flared after Smalling clattered Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, which saw Mourinho move to the edge of his technical area — wearing a coat as grey as his hair these days — provoking ire among the Leicester fans, who told him in no uncertain terms to return to the Roma bench. 

Mourinho revelled in his return to England, not least when speaking afterwards, glint in his eye, he revealed that opposite number Rodgers, his former protege at Chelsea, “got me the best Portuguese bottle of wine.” He added with a flourish, “He’s crying because it’s really expensive – but he wanted to give me my favourite bottle of Portuguese wine. It is really hard to find. I don’t know how he found it,” pausing for effect, “but I know how he paid for it.”

Rodgers certainly wasn’t tearful watching his vibrant Foxes side attempt to level. On 33 minutes the persistent Lookman tested Rui Patricio with a powerful low drive that the former Wolves keeper did well to keep out. While, six minutes later, the lively Maddison neatly worked space on the edge of the box to fashion a shot he fired over. 

Leicester should have found parity when Lookman was presented with a header in space in the box moments after the interval, but the Foxes attacker wasted his chance when heading wide from Marc Albrighton’s corner. In a tight contest, the look on his face suggested he knew it was a chance spurned. 

Vardy was then booked for leaving his foot on Roma left-back Roger Ibanez, as the Foxes’ talisman unsurprisingly struggled to make an impact on the game, given the length of time he has been out this year – with there being no shock the 35-year-old was replaced with Kelechi Iheanacho shortly afterwards. In a double substitution the canny Rodgers also swapped Albrighton with Harvey Barnes. 

The move was to pay dividends five minutes later, when the tireless Lookman bundled in from close range to make it 1-1, after a buccaneering run by Barnes, to send the home support into raptures. 

Iheanacho then forced Patricio into a smart fingertip save, low down to his left, as the Foxes searched for a winner. 

Roma broke at the other end through Abraham, whose clever backheel set up Sergio Oliveira, who forced Schmeichel into a close range block. 

As the clock ticked down Maddison’s deflected shot was kept out by Patricio.

At the final whistle of a hard-fought contest played in a good spirit, both sides immediately turned their attention to the second leg in the Italian capital next week, in what could be the greatest night in Leicester’s European history, as the prospect of a first continental final remains a tantalising possibility. 

No wonder Rodgers said afterwards: “We had no fear. We can go to Rome and play to that level. We’re in with a fantastic chance to get to the final.”