Lille’s Turkish goalkeeper Berke Ozer produced a remarkable performance in Rome, saving three successive penalties to secure a 1-0 victory over Roma in the Europa League on 2 october 2025.
The French side had taken an early lead through Hakon Haraldsson at the Olympic Stadium, but a late handball by Aissa Mandi gave Roma the chance to level the match from the spot.
Artem Dovbyk stepped up first, only to see his penalty saved by Ozer. However, after Romain Perraud cleared the rebound for a corner, the referee ordered a retake for encroachment.
Ozer again denied Dovbyk, but this time was judged to have moved off his line too soon. Roma were handed a third chance, with Matias Soule replacing Dovbyk at the spot, yet the outcome was the same, Ozer pulled off another save to preserve Lille’s lead.
“No one can expect to save three penalties in one evening. It was like being in a dream for me,” said the 25-year-old Turkey international, who joined Lille in August after Lucas Chevalier departed for Paris Saint-Germain.
“I knew I was going to save the first attempt, but the other two were really strange. I don’t know what to say. Before the match I promised my fiancée that I wouldn’t concede any goals. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. If there had been a fourth one, I could have stopped that too,” he joked.
Lille coach Bruno Genesio praised his goalkeeper’s heroics, admitting he had “never seen anything like it”.
