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Athletic Club secured a 3-1 victory over Roma in the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday, knocking Claudio Ranieri’s side out of the competition. An early red card for Mats Hummels proved costly for the Giallorossi, who struggled to contain the Spanish side at San Mamés.
Hummels’ Red Card Changes the Game
The match got off to a disastrous start for Roma as Hummels was sent off just 11 minutes into the game for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The controversial foul occurred near the center circle, leaving Roma with a numerical disadvantage for almost the entire match. Despite being down to 10 men, Roma’s goalkeeper Mile Svilar made crucial saves to keep his team in contention, denying multiple chances from Athletic Club’s striker, Sannadi.
Athletic Club Takes Control Before Half-Time
The home side dominated possession and came close to scoring when Nico Williams struck the post with a curling effort. Roma’s best attacking move in the first half came from an Angelino trivela cross, but it failed to find a teammate inside the box. However, just seconds before the half-time whistle, Spain international Nico Williams broke the deadlock, slotting home a cross at the far post, with a slight deflection off Angelino.
Roma Fights Back But Falls Short
In the second half, Roma introduced Eldor Shomurodov in place of Paulo Dybala, hoping to turn the game around. Shomurodov had a golden opportunity but was denied by Athletic Club’s goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala. Svilar continued his heroics, making another impressive save against Alex Berenguer’s close-range shot.
Despite Roma’s resilience, Athletic Club doubled their lead when Yuri Berchiche scored with a powerful header from a Berenguer corner kick. Moments later, Nico Williams put the game out of reach with a brilliant solo goal, dribbling past three Roma defenders before slotting the ball into the net.
Late Penalty Not Enough for Roma
Roma managed to score a consolation goal in stoppage time after Andoni Gorosabel fouled Stephan El Shaarawy inside the box. Leandro Paredes converted the penalty, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, but it was too little, too late.
Athletic Club Advances, Roma’s Europa League Run Ends
With this 3-1 win, Athletic Club progresses to the Europa League quarter-finals, while Roma’s journey in the competition comes to a disappointing end. Despite winning 2-1 in the first leg, the early red card and Athletic Club’s attacking prowess sealed Roma’s fate in Spain.
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