Zaniolo completes Roma’s first successful attack
Spurred on by thousands of fans, the Romans got more out of the game in Tirana in the first half. With typical Mourinho tactics, the sixth in Serie A relied on control from a secure defence. Because Feyenoord did little offensively, the first half was uneventful for a long time. Only the early end for the injured ex-Dortmunder Henrich Mchitarjan with the Romans moved people’s minds.
With the first successful offensive action, Roma then took the lead. Rotterdam’s Gernot Trauner underestimated Gianluca Mancini’s high pass, the lurking Zaniolo pushed in deliberately.
Feyenoord unlucky after the break
Feyenoord came out of the dressing room as if transformed. First, a defensive attempt by Mancini after a Dutch corner landed on his own post, then Rome keeper Rui Patricio parried Guus Til’s follow-up shot (47′). Three minutes later, the goalkeeper deflected Tyrell Malacia’s powerful shot just over the bar.
Mourinho’s team survived this phase only with effort and luck, and the Romans were rarely able to provide relief. But Feyenoord didn’t take advantage of his chances to equalize and ended up empty-handed.
Riots the night before the game
The night before the final, riots broke out in Tirana between the police and groups of fans from both teams. As the AP news agency reported, 19 police officers and five other people were injured. A police officer was reportedly injured with a knife. There were also fights in the stadium before kick-off, and several Feyenoord fans had to leave the arena.
The capital of Albania expected 100,000 fans from both countries for the final – but both clubs were only entitled to 4,000 tickets each, and the National Arena holds 20,000 people. “If the trend continues, we will have to think about bigger stadiums in the future,” said UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. At the premiere of the competition, the head of the association said: “The opening season went beyond expectations.”