Penalty Drama: Lille Keeper Saves Three Roma Penalties in Wild Europa League Showdown

 AS Roma endured an incredible night of frustration as they missed three consecutive penalties in the closing stages of a 1-0 Europa League defeat to Lille on Thursday.

In a surreal sequence at the Stadio Olimpico, Roma were handed multiple chances to equalize after Artem Dovbyk’s first two penalty attempts were both saved by Lille goalkeeper Berke Özer. Each time, however, the referee ordered a retake due to encroachment.

When Roma finally switched penalty takers to Matías Soulé, the outcome was the same — Özer dived to his right to produce a third stunning save in the 85th minute, nearly four minutes after Dovbyk’s first attempt.

“The penalties? It felt endless,” Lille midfielder Nabil Bentaleb said. “Berke came up with three great saves — we owe him for that.”

Lille coach Bruno Génésio admitted it was a first in his long career:

“I’ve never seen three consecutive penalties saved. It was full of emotion — a great reward for the players after recent defeats to Lens and Lyon. We won, but nothing is done yet.”

The decisive goal came early, as Hakon Arnar Haraldsson struck from a tight angle in the sixth minute, securing Lille’s second victory in two Europa League matches.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini was equally stunned by the ending:

“I’ve never seen three penalties missed in the same game. We went behind early, which played into Lille’s hands. The team showed desire and intensity, but we weren’t clinical enough. That penalty could have changed everything.”

Despite the disappointment, Gasperini chose to highlight the positives from his side’s performance:

“We’ll take lessons from this match. The players gave their all, and sometimes in Europe, effort just isn’t enough.”

Lille will now look to build on their European momentum as they prepare to host Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 on Sunday.