Nicolo Zaniolo’s Strike Hands AS Roma Victory Over Feyenoord in UEFA Conference League Final

Nicolo Zaniolo’s Strike Hands AS Roma Victory Over Feyenoord in UEFA Conference League Final

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:03 PM
In this article:
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UEFA ECL
Europe
  • AS Roma beat Dutch side Feyenoord 1-0 in Tirana to lift the first-ever UEFA Conference League trophy
  • The win sees Jose Mourinho become the first manager in history to lift all the three European trophies after winning the Champions League and the Europa League
  • Italian international Nicolo Zaniolo got the only goal of the game in the first half to hand Roma its first European trophy

Nicolo Zaniolo was the difference maker as AS Roma beat Feyenoord in the UEFA Conference League final on Wednesday night.

The Italian forward pounced on a lofted pass over the top of the defence from Gianluca Mancini to lob the ball past Justin Bijlow in the 32nd minute.

Nicolo Zaniolo, AS Roma, Feyenoord, UEFA Conference League, Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho issues instructions during the Conference League final against Feyenoord. Photo by Matthew Ashton.
Source: Getty Images

The game had begun in an ugly fashion with off-the-pitch related incidences as fans clashed in the stadium. As soon as the game kicked off, Feyenoord were in the front foot, dictating possession with Roma struggling to adapt.

Jose Mourinho's problems were further compounded when Henrikh Mikkitaryan went down on the turf after just 17 minutes. The former Manchester United man was just coming from a hamstring injury and had to be substituted. His place was taken by Sergio Oliveira.

Despite Feyenoord dominating possession, they failed to create any chances. Lorenzo Pellegrini remained Roma's biggest threat, threading in some key passes.

The deadlock was finally broken when Mancini lifted a delicious ball to find Zaniolo on the far post. The 22-year-old didn't need a second invitation to score the first-ever goal of a Conference League final.

After the break, Feyenoord returned with some energy, looking to equalize the proceedings. But a Roma defence marshalled by Rui Patricio stood firm. AS Roma sustained a period of intense pressure from the Dutch side.

Cyril Dessers the competition's top goalscorer thought he had equalized for his side but a world-class last-ditch tackle from Roger Ibanez denied the Nigerian. Roma had the chance to extend their lead late into the half but captain Lorenzo Pellegrini saw his effort parried away by Bijlow in the Feyenoord goal.

The victory now means that Jose Mourinho has now won every European final he has participated in.

Authors
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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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