Two goals from Filip Mladenovic have given BATE Borisov a 3-0 lead in a remarkable opening 45 minutes in the Champions League.
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Roma had started the match well, with Gervinho seeing an early shot saved, but the Serie A outfit soon found themselves two goals down inside the opening quarter of an hour.
BATE went ahead when Ihar Stasevich was able to head home from close range after a Mikhail Gordeichuk strike had hit the crossbar, before three minutes later, Mladenovic unleashed an effort from distance that deceived Wojciech Szczesny and found the back of the net.
Roma responded through Radja Nainggolan, who had a 25-yard strike saved by the goalkeeper, but shortly after the half-hour mark, BATE found a third.
Questions will again be asked of Szczesny, who failed to deal with another shot from Mladenovic, who registered his second in the space of 20 minutes.
Roma were stunned, but they avoided conceding a fourth before the break as BATE threaten one of the biggest surprises in the Champions League for some time.
Darren Plant
