By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
ANKARA (AA) - Italy’s Roma beat Trabzonspor 2-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League playoff on Thursday.
A cautious first half at the Senol Gunes Sports Complex in Trabzon ended with neither side able to break the deadlock.
Both teams were more aggressive in the second period, with Roma drawing first blood through Italian midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini in the 55th minute.
Trabzonspor’s Danish forward Andreas Evald Cornelius equalized for the home side in the 64th minute, before Eldor Shomurodov netted the winner for the Italian side in the 81st minute.
The teams will face off in the second leg at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Aug. 26.