Tammy Abraham’s header from point-blank range in the final minute sent Roma through to the Conference League quarter-final after Vitesse had threatened to force extra time. The Giallorossi won the first leg 1-0 in Arnhem, so could afford to even draw here and still reach the quarter-final.
2021/2022 UEFA Europa Conference League
1-1
Sergio Oliviera and Gianluca Mancini sat out bans, with Leonardo Spinazzola still injured, while Vitesse had Alois Dominik Oroz suspended and Matus Bero on the treatment table.
It was a worrying start for the hosts, as within three minutes Adrian Grbic had a free kick from a huge distance that dipped viciously, Rui Patricio having to flap it out from under the bar.
Jordan Veretout drilled wide from outside the box and Matias Vina hit a scorcher that skimmed the far post from distance.
So did a Lorenzo Pellegrini free kick from a long way out, but the deadlock was broken by the first bit of quality in the entire match.
Maximilian Wittek hit a ferocious volley from 20 metres out with the outside of his left boot, which made it swing outwards and into the near bottom corner beyond Rui Patricio.
Roma wanted Rasmussen to be given a second yellow card for handball on 72 minutes, but he was lying on the ground at the time and instead the referee booked both Zaniolo and Jose Mourinho for dissent.
Bryan Cristante forced a save at the near post on a Pellegrini free kick, while Pellegrini’s acrobatic volley was over from 10 yards on a Tammy Abraham knock-down.
Grbic wasted a promising opportunity to put Vitesse 2-0 up, scuffing the angled drive wide when sent clear by Openda.
The tie was heading to extra time until the final minute, until Roma snatched an equaliser and therefore a winner on aggregate. Stephan El Shaarawy’s cross found Rick Karsdorp at the far post, he knocked it back for Abraham’s header from a yard.
Line-ups
Roma XI: Patricio, Mkhitaryan, Smalling, Veretout, Maitland-Niles, Pellegrini, Abraham, Zaniolo, Vina, Ibanez, Kumbulla
Subs: El Shaarawy, Cristante, Karsdorp, E. Shomurodov, Perez, Diawara, Fuzato, N. Zalewski, E. Darboe, P. Boer, E. Bove, F. Afena-Gyan
Vitesse XI: Eli Dasa, Bazoer, S. Tronstad, M. Wittek, A. Grbić, J. Houwen, J. Rasmussen, D. Doekhi, Openda, Toni Domgjoni, D. Huisman
Subs: M. Schubert, P. Vroegh, T. Buitink, N. Frederiksen, Y. Gboho, R. Yapi, D. Reiziger, M. Manhoef, Enrico Hernández, E. Cornelisse, G. de Regt