Tammy Abraham fired Roma in Thursday’s inaugural Europa Conference League final with the only goal in a 1-0 win over Leicester City that saw the Italian side go 2-1 on aggregate.

Abraham smashed a powerful 11th-minute header in a bouncing Stadio Olimpico in Rome to put Jose Mourinho’s side in their first European final in more than three decades.

They await Feyenoord in the Albanian capital Tirana on May 25 after the Dutch prevailed 3-2 in the other semi-final, and they will be backed by an army of supporters who have emotionally supported their side.

After the match, Roma announced that tickets for the final would be distributed free of charge to season ticket holders, a reward for the phenomenal support given to a side currently sitting fifth in Serie A.

“Before the game started, the fans won us this game,” Abraham told BT Sport after scoring his 25th goal of the season.

“We weren’t even on the pitch and we heard them. The victory was for them and my team. Hopefully we can go all the way.”

Roma fans haven’t seen their side win a trophy since 2008 and the roar at the final whistle was a massive relief after spending much of the game on the back foot against the Foxes themselves in search of a first continental grand final.

Brendan Rodgers’ side ran into the ground against a generally well-organised Mourinho side who were content to let Leicester race and try to pick the opposing side at the break once their overall advantage was established from the start.

“They were better than us in the first half even though they didn’t create much,” Rodgers told reporters after the game.

“We had a lot of play in the second half, but we couldn’t break through. Our Achilles heel all season was stopped and that was the case again tonight.”

– ‘Giant club’ –

Roma’s last European final – in the old UEFA Cup – was lost to Inter Milan in 1991 and the pre-match atmosphere was as feverish as you’d expect for one. of the most passionate and enduring fanbases in Europe.

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“I shed a tear because my emotions were with everyone who loves this club,” said an exhausted Mourinho.

“It’s a giant club without the trophy room compared to the social dimension of the club. It’s not a trophy it’s a final but it means a lot to them.”

A crowd of 65,000 had already been whipped into a strong start for the home side when Abraham nearly brought down the roof, meeting Lorenzo Pellegrini’s corner with a header that flew past Kasper Schmeichel.

The England international’s goal was only the reward for Roma’s enterprising start which featured some clever saves from Schmeichel, but as the half wore on Leicester he shrugged off the cobwebs and started to take foot.

From there, the game settled into a pattern where Leicester tried to get past a well-organised Roma rear guard, initially unsuccessfully as the opposing team had not a single shot on target in the opening period.

Leicester’s first shot on target came only 11 minutes from time when James Maddison’s weak drive was easily recovered by Rui Patricio and after that the hosts had a few decent opportunities themselves.

The impressive Nicola Zalewski had a decent shot when a cross was deflected into his path and Roma started to gain ground as Leicester grew tired of their ineffectual efforts.

Leicester pushed for a leveler but, as the whistles reached heartbreaking levels, Roma held on and once Pellegrini’s long-range effort was fumbled for a corner in the dying moments, Roma knew they were in. had done enough to write another chapter in the history of the Eternal City.

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It was interesting to listen to the post-match reactions from Brendan Rodgers and Kelechi Iheanacho following Leicester City’s 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman’s assessment of the leader’s performance was not analogous to the Super Eagle’s assessment, but both statements, overall, summed up the former Manchester City striker.

He scored a brilliantly taken goal but was at times guilty of losing the ball. He scored a low percentage effort, but his decision-making and execution in other situations could be questioned.

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Assessing someone who is often a mixed bag for 90 minutes can be a silly race, but Rodgers’ post-loss remarks were somewhat apt.

“It was a very good shot and a very good goal,” Rodgers told the club. official site after the game. “He caused them a problem. He lost a ball or two that he can be better with, but overall he kept fighting and running. It was a very, very good goal. »

Receiving the ball from Youri Tielemans in his prime position in the right half space, the Super Eagle, Iheanacho cut down the field, moving the ball into shooting position after cheating Harry Winks before sending a low drive beyond ‘Hugo Lloris.

“I had a shot in the first half and in the second half I took the ball pretty well, moved it around and saw the space and put it there” , concisely the striker. put after game.

Indeed, that strike was reminiscent of a few goals in a prolific 2020/21 in which the Nigerian ended the campaign as Leicester’s top scorer, ending Jamie Vardy’s streak of doing so.

Those moments of brilliance have been rare between this term, with ‘Seniorman’ having scored just four Premier League goals this season, significantly fewer than the 12 he managed in the previous campaign.

The obvious vindicating factor for Iheanacho, besides not being Rodgers’ right-hand man, was the return to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, moving away from a line of two-front in which Iheanacho thrived. in the second half of the previous campaign.

That said, did Sunday’s selection and formation give any strong hints to the Leicester boss’s thinking for Thursday’s decisive Europa Conference League encounter with Roma?

While the Foxes coach may have had the reverse game with Jose Mourinho’s side in mind with his heavily rotated XI – with minor injuries to James Maddison and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall causing the absence of the pair – Rodgers’ return to a back three with two up favored the leader.

Admittedly, the rationale for this change could have been to match Antonio Conte’s men and it remains to be seen whether the Leicester manager retains the formation to replicate Jose Mourinho’s approach or use a number nine with two wide forwards. either side at the Stadio Olimpico.

Either way, it’s arguable for Iheanacho to start in Rome.

Vardy remains the club’s talisman but the logic of opting for a striker unfit to carry the burden alone could have repercussions for the East Midlands side in their first European semi-final. The Englishman has just returned from a knee injury which sidelined him for over a month, getting 102 minutes in his legs since an appearance against Aston Villa.

A hamstring injury suffered at the start of 2022, which sidelined him for a month, means the 35-year-old has only played five times in the new year. Indeed, entrusting a leader in bad shape with the responsibility of scoring goals constitutes a risk.

Of course, Patson Daka remains an alternative for Rodgers, but the Zambian has looked uncomfortable during the 13-game drought and notably lacked conviction as his scuffed shot over Spurs hit the post.

Seven of the aforementioned games were also starts, but the fact that he was timid in seven of those 13 games doesn’t bode well for the 23-year-old.

Granted, Iheanacho hasn’t been pulling up any trees, but he’s arguably the logical choice to start on offense alone or alongside a partner if Rodgers opts for a front two as the Foxes chase a first European final in the league. history of the club.

“We need the same character that we have shown to get to this stage,” the manager said. mentioned before Thursday’s game. “We have experience for the second leg knowing how to get the job done.

“Rennes and PSV were tough games, two very good teams, and we were able to do that. It’s a similar mentality and a similar thought process.

Having branded their Rome assignment as the biggest game of their season, Rodgers must now trust the flawed but decisive Iheanacho in a voluble Olimpico to lead Leicester to an unprecedented final.