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The AS Roma vs Bodo/Glimt game in the Europa Conference League was always going to be tagged as a 'revenge or repeat' encounter.
Despite thrashing Jose Mourinho's team 6-1 in the reverse fixture, the Norwegian side was always going to be up against it when they travelled to the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday. However, they managed to hold their own. Not only did Bodo/Glimt match Roma in terms of possession, but they also nearly departed Rome with another three points.
The away side took the lead twice, through Ola Solbakken and Erik Botheim. To their credit, Roma pegged them back on both occasions, courtesy Stephan El Shaarawy and Roger Ibanez.
Bodo/Glimt prove their 6-1 thrashing of AS Roma was no fluke
If there was anything that Thursday's game proved, it was that Bodo/Glimt's rout of Roma in the reverse fixture was no fluke. In fact, Mourinho's side was lucky to escape with a draw in Rome on Thursday.
Despite dominating the opening exchanges, Roma rarely threatened their modest opponents. The first clear-cut opening of the night fell to Bodo/Glimt, who proved more clinical than the Giallorossi.
The Norwegian side may have started the competition as underdogs. But they've been the revelation of the group stages so far as they sit at atop Group C.
No one saw them putting six goals past Roma and certainly not many foresaw them leaving Italy with a point. But Bodo/Glimt have emphatically answered all their critics, and their heroics in Rome only emphasise how good a team they are.
AS Roma's limping form continues
For all of Bodo/Glimt's impressive performance, though, there can be no denying that AS Roma failed to rise to the occasion over the two games.
The Giallorossi have been a pale shadow of their brilliant selves that started the season with six consecutive wins across competitions. Following Thursday's 2-2 draw, Mourinho's side has now won just once in their last six games.
“They played a great game. We made a lot of mistakes from a technical point of view, even in the first half and in the build-up,” the Roma boss conceded after the game, as quoted by Roma Press.
Mourinho continued:
“We lost so many balls in the middle of the pitch. We struggled offensively. The reality of the match is 2-2 with two very clear penalties. They got theirs very pragmatically – two shots, two goals. God knows how many shots we had, and yet we end up with two goals.”
Roma have clearly been struggling in recent weeks, and they desperately need a win to kickstart their resurgence. Such a result didn't happen on Thursday. But they have another chance to try and turn things around when they face Venezia in Seria A on Sunday.
