The Talking Point: Four minutes that turned Ajax first leg

Across just four second half minutes in Amsterdam, Roma went from staring down the barrel of a 2-0 deficit to, not only levelling the Europa League quarter-final tie with Ajax, but eventually swinging it in their favour with two away goals of their own.

The hosts had just about deserved their 1-0 half time lead and when, 53 minutes in, Ajax captain Dusan Tadic was felled in the box by Roger Ibanez, it looked as if the quarter final was slipping from Roma’s grasp.

Had Tadic dusted himself down and converted from the spot, Ajax’s 2-0 lead would suddenly have looked far more comfortable.

It would have left Paulo Fonseca’s side with an uphill task of turning things around, but Pau Lopez - who made a number of key saves on the night - held firm to beat the Serbian’s penalty clear.

It was his first penalty save in a Roma shirt - and what a time to do it.

Lopez kept his team in with a chance and his teammates - who moments earlier will have likely felt belief beginning to seep from them - rallied dramatically.

Roma took less than two minutes to pose a serious threat of their own as Bruno Peres whipped in a teasing cross to the back post that Edin Dzeko headed into the side netting.

It was a clear warning to the home team that they had missed an opportunity to put themselves well out in front, a notion ruthlessly reaffirmed a further two minutes later - albeit in fortuitous fashion.

Pedro did well to win a free kick on the left edge of the Ajax penalty area, presenting captain Lorenzo Pellegrini with the opportunity to test 21-year-old keeper Kjell Scherpen.

The young stopper - making his European debut - ultimately didn’t stand up to the test, tamely fumbling Pellegrini’s free kick over the line.

It didn’t matter how the goal came about, the wild Roma celebrations spoke volumes for the strike’s significance.

The Giallorossi were not only level back on level terms, but they had also grabbed a vital away goal to take back to the Stadio Olimpico.

That had already swung the tie in their favour, even before Ibanez superbly volleyed home Roma’s second of the night late on.

It was a stunning finish to cap a stunning away win that less than an hour into proceedings looked highly unlikely when the same player looked to have committed a costly foul in his own box.

Ajax have to score at least twice in Rome to have any chance of progressing and it is the Dutch outfit that now have an uphill task ahead of them.

For Erik ten Hag & co. they will look back on the first leg as what might have been, while Roma will return to the capital delighted with a great result that gives them plenty to defend heading back home.