This match was indeed not conservative at all!
Roma had already decided to press high and attack at home, and unexpectedly, Luton also committed a lot of players to offense!
Both sides went back and forth, making for a very lively match!
"Vucinic!!!! Turning shot in the box... Schmeichel!! Schmeichel caught the ball!!"
"Luton's counterattack!! Their passing speed is very fast!!!! Kevin Keane crosses... Vardy!!!"
"Ah... what a pity!! Vardy's header just missed the post!!!"
"Roma's attack is coming again!!! Menez gets to the byline in the box... breaking through along the goal line!!!"
"A shot from a tight angle!!!!!!! Schmeichel blocked it with his foot!!!"
The pace of the game entered a fast rhythm from the very beginning.
Both coaches couldn't sit still.
Ranieri was gesticulating wildly on the sidelines, and Gao Bo also looked very agitated.
The match had unknowingly passed over twenty minutes.
Sweat was streaming down Ranieri's face, and he was now doubting his previous judgment.
Could it be that Luton's stamina was not an issue?
To be honest, Ranieri abhorred the hooliganism of disturbing the away team, but objectively, the actions of Roma's football hooligan groups helped the home team.
Ranieri had considered Luton's physical condition in his pre-match preparations, which was why he formulated an attacking plan.
But from the current perspective, Luton's players were still lively on the field; they didn't look like they hadn't slept well at all.
And just as Ranieri was pondering this issue, Luton's attack came again!
Kante dispossessed Menez, and then Luton immediately launched a counterattack!
Drinkwater passed the ball to the right, Kevin Keane controlled it and then crossed diagonally into the box!
Vardy charged forward, took the ball at the near post, and then laid it back for Griezmann who was coming up!
Griezmann feigned a shot and then passed. When Roma's players rushed up to block the shot, Griezmann changed his footwork and slipped the ball to Vardy!
Vardy turned and darted into the box, then, meeting Griezmann's pass, his eyes were fixed only on the ball. Vardy didn't even look at the goalkeeper's position, and just unleashed a powerful shot!
The ball hit the net in the top right corner, a perfect strike!!
"Goal!!!!!!! Jamie Vardy!!"
Accompanied by the commentator's voice, Gao Bo leaped to his feet, his head held high, mouth wide open, letting out the loudest roar!
At the same time, Vardy, having confirmed his goal, also had veins bulging on his face as he roared and sprinted towards the corner flag!
A series of sliding celebrations converged near the corner flag!
The players on the field were completely ecstatic; even Schmeichel did a backflip in celebration!
The coaching bench and substitute bench were in a chaotic frenzy.
In stark contrast were the Roma players, standing with hands on hips, gazing at the sky in resignation, and Ranieri, with his hands in his coat pockets, his face filled with helplessness.
The Stadio Olimpico in Rome fell silent for a moment.
However, sharp boos quickly erupted. Facing the Luton players celebrating right before their eyes, Roma fans could only respond with piercing jeers.
But even if they screamed themselves hoarse, they couldn't change the reality of Roma trailing at home!
"Roma is in danger now."
"They conceded a goal to Luton at home. If they lose at home, Roma might be eliminated from the Europa League group stage... All the pressure is on Roma now!"
The Italian commentator said.
Meanwhile, in England, countless fans raised their glasses in celebration.
"Well done, Luton! That's how you do it!!!"
"Brilliant!!! Vardy is amazing!!!"
"He could even join the England team now!!!"
"Capello might actually consider Vardy..."
English fans discussed animatedly, while the on-field celebration had ended.
Luton's players quickly returned to their own half.
When the match restarted, Roma, having conceded, seemed to be enraged.
A third-tier team, they hadn't even had a good night's sleep the night before!
Facing such a team, and at home no less, they actually conceded first!
After their initial frustration, what remained for Roma's players was anger!
Anger can also bring strength!
After conceding, Roma began to press forward aggressively, even more frantically than at the start of the match!
Luton was temporarily overwhelmed by Roma, and the excitement of their recent goal was quickly forgotten.
Because Roma's offensive was simply too fierce, a tsunami-like onslaught surged forward, making Luton's penalty area extremely precarious!
In the thirty-sixth minute of the match, Roma's right-back Marco Motta also pushed into the attacking third and crossed the ball into the box!
Vucinic headed the ball back from the edge of the box to the top of the penalty area! Menez headed it forward into the box, and then, ten meters from goal, he struck with his right foot!
The ball was blocked by Schmeichel for a corner!
Then Roma's corner kick was taken! Mexes and Geoffrey collided in the air, both falling to the ground!
The referee spread his hands and then pointed to the other corner flag.
No foul! The ball touched Geoffrey before going out for a corner!
Roma continued with another corner kick!!
In the next few minutes, Roma's attack grew stronger and stronger, and Luton's pressure also increased!
By this point, Luton's players were already feeling their fatigue.
After all, they hadn't rested much the night before, and daytime rest couldn't fully compensate for a lack of sleep at night; their bodies were still tired.
Under Roma's sustained attack, Luton's players had begun to gasp for air.
"The players are running out of stamina!" John said with some concern next to Gao Bo.
Gao Bo nodded. It seemed the ammonia's effect only lasted about thirty minutes, and this method was merely a temporary fix, not a permanent solution.
Even Vardy and Kante, who were in the best physical condition, were now leaning on their knees and panting, let alone the other players.
On one hand, their bodies were indeed not in optimal condition, and on the other hand, Roma's relentless attack gave the players no chance to catch their breath.
And the result of this was that in the forty-third minute of the match, Roma scored!
Vucinic turned and shot in the box, and the ball deflected off Drinkwater's foot, who had tracked back to defend, and into the net!
One-one!!
Roma equalized the score!!
The situation was now very unfavorable for Luton.
Roma had equalized, and the players were facing a physical crisis!!