Kostas Tsimikas’ costly slip of focus gave Lille the lead, as his misjudged touch allowed Felix Correia to pounce and put the ball into the path of Hákon Arnar Haraldsson via a deflection inside the box. The Icelandic forward made no mistakes, firing a vicious finish past Mile Svilar from close range.
Bruno Génésio’s side nearly extended their advantage on the half-hour mark when Osame Sahraoui swapped smart passes with Haraldsson, only to drag a feeble effort wide of the far post – a moment he will believe could have resulted in a goal.
That miss appeared to shake Roma into action, with the hosts finally demonstrating urgency. Only five minutes later, they came agonisingly close to equalising in a wild goalmouth scramble. After many blocked attempts in a frenzied period reminiscent of pinball, Morocco international Neil El Aynaoui saw his shot saved off the line at the last minute by a remarkable intervention from centre-back Aïssa Mandi.
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