Tra le favorite per la conquista di questa prima edizione, la Roma è andata incontro ad un inaspettato quanto clamoroso passo falso nella terza giornata della fase a gironi di Conference League. Sul sintetico del Bodo/Glimt, capolista del massimo campionato norvegese, i giallorossi sono apparsi lontani parenti di quelli brillanti finora ammirati nel Gruppo C, incappando in un 6-1 non giustificabile dal turnover di rito. Per i padroni di casa, ora in testa al girone, da segnalare la doppietta e i tre assist del gioiello Botheim; sul fronte degli sconfitti, invece, Mourinho ha assaporato l'amarezza delle sei reti subite per la prima volta in carriera, dopo oltre 1'000 gare da tecnico.
Similmente negativa (se non nella forma, almeno nella sostanza) la serata di un'altra pretendente alla vittoria finale, il Tottenham. Nel Gruppo G, anch'essi impegnati in trasferta, i londinesi hanno subito la legge del Vitesse, vittorioso di misura (1-0) grazie al centro di Wittek. Delusione in salsa olandese, infine, pure per l'Union Berlino del tecnico elvetico Fischer, superato per 3-1 dal Feyenoord nel quadro del Gruppo E.
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