Italian press reviews after the first leg of the Europa League football match between Salzburg and AS Roma (1-0) on Thursday evening in Salzburg.
“Gazzetta dello Sport”
“If you look at football as music then Jose Mourinho would be entitled to play the hapless maestro Antonio Salieri in Salzburg, the birthplace of the immortal Mozart. The home side win with minutes to go but they don’t shine. The Romans deserved to win but due to defensive mistakes they suffer their first defeat in their history against an Austrian team.”
Sports Courier
“This defeat for AS Roma does not correspond to the balance of power on the field. The result has been affected by bad luck for Roma and by refereeing mistakes that have not been seen in a long time. Mourinho’s side pay a heavy price for a defensive mistake in a match, at which AS Roma deserved to win.”
Corriere della Sera
“AS Roma leave the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg full of regrets. The match was decided by a goal two minutes before the end after a serious mistake by Matic. Salzburg are a well-organized team, but they have visible limitations. It will be for the Romans at home not be impossible to overturn the negative result, but they must create a qualitative leap and become more concrete.”
The Republic
“AS Roma are defeated by a livid but pragmatic side with a lot of luck on their side. Capaldo’s goal is a cold shower for Mourinho, who needs to win at Rome’s Olympic Stadium. Meanwhile, the Romans also have to fear for star Paulo Dybala, who left the stadium with a bandage.”
The messenger
“AS Roma waste a lot and pay a high price for their lack of concrete action. Salzburg are proving to be a well-structured team, but they could well beat AS Roma at home.”
