Roma defeated Feyenoord 1-1 in a thrilling penalty shootout, with Svilar making two crucial saves to help his team advance in the competition.

Nicola Zalewski became the hero for AS Roma as he scored the winning penalty to secure their place in the UEFA Europa League last 16. The Italian side triumphed in a shoot-out against Feyenoord after the second leg of their play-off clash ended in a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico.

Roma emerged victorious with a 4-2 scoreline on penalties, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Mile Svilar, who made crucial saves from David Hancko and Alireza Jahanbakhsh. However, there was a surprising miss from Romelu Lukaku, which added some drama to the proceedings.

The Giallorossi were considered the favorites to progress on their home turf, especially after Lukaku’s equalizer secured a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Holland. However, it was Feyenoord who stunned the partisan home crowd by taking an early lead through Santiago Gimenez’s quick reactions, as he diverted an improvised finish into the back of the net after just five minutes.

But Roma quickly responded, with Lorenzo Pellegrini producing a magnificent curler to restore parity just ten minutes later. After that, the match became somewhat of a stalemate, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances.

Extra time was needed to determine a winner, and Lukaku came close to clinching it in the 120th minute. However, the match ultimately went to a penalty shoot-out, where Svilar’s heroics ensured Daniele De Rossi’s side progressed to the last 16.

Roma will now eagerly await Friday’s draw to find out their next opponents in the competition.