In the early hours of this morning, a key game in the second round of the UEFA Europa League was played at the San Mamés Stadium, home of Spanish La Liga team Athletic Bilbao, as Bilbao took on Italian Serie A powerhouse AS Roma. The game was full of drama, and in the end Bilbao defeated Roma, who were playing with ten men, 3-1 thanks to their outstanding performance. The overall score was 4-3, and Bilbao successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League.
1. Match background: Roma was in great form, but a turning point in their fortunes appeared
Roma had been in great form recently, with an unbeaten record of 7 wins and 1 draw in their last 8 matches in both the Italian Serie A and the UEFA Europa League. In the first leg last week, Roma took the lead with a 2-1 home win over Bilbao. However, the match was completely changed by an unexpected incident.
Just 10 minutes into the game, Bilbao countered quickly from the left side. Roma defender Hojbjerg tackled the opponent Sanabria during the return, and the referee did not hesitate to show a red card and send Hojbjerg off. Roma had to play with 10 men, and the situation immediately favored Bilbao.
2. First half: Bilbao presses Roma and breaks the deadlock
From the 10th minute, Bilbao completely controlled the rhythm of the game and launched a fierce attack:
- 16th minute: Bilbao striker N Williams was tackled by Pareys in the left side of the penalty area during a breakthrough, but the referee did not award a penalty.
- 20th minute: Roma make a mistake in the backfield, and Bilbao take advantage to counterattack. IWilliams makes a great pass, and Gomez plays the ball to Sanabria, who misses an open goal.
- 22nd minute: NWilliams once again shows his individual ability, passing several defenders before unleashing a powerful shot that hits the post and goes out for a corner. Roma escape unscathed.
Despite wasting several great opportunities, Bilbao finally scored in the first half of extra time. Belchite crossed the ball from the left, and Sonnadi headed the ball towards the goal. The ball hit Ndika and bounced out, and N Williams, who was waiting in the back of the net, volleyed the ball from a small angle to help Bilbao take the lead 1-0 and tie the total score to 2-2.
3. Second half: Bilbao extend their lead and seal the win
In the second half, Bilbao continued to put pressure on the Roma defence, which gradually crumbled:
- 67th minute: Bilbao took advantage of a corner kick opportunity and Berchiche headed the ball into the net to make the score 2-0 and give them a 3-2 lead over Roma in the aggregate score.
- 81st minute: Bilbao played another wonderful combination. N Williams and Belchite passed the ball to each other before N Williams sent a through ball to Belchite, who made a smart move to get past four defenders in the penalty area and finished with a delicate chip to score his second goal and make the final score 4-2.
4. Rome’s last-ditch effort: one goal but no comeback
As the game entered its final stages, Roma finally found an opportunity. In the 89th minute, Sharaawi was brought down by Grossaarbel, who had just come on as a substitute, while breaking through on the left side of the penalty area. The referee awarded a penalty. Pareisde scored the penalty, and Roma brought the total score to 3-4. Unfortunately, there was very little time left, and Roma was unable to work another miracle.
5. Post-match summary: Strength determines success or failure
In the end, Bilbao defeated Roma 3-1, completing a comeback with a 4-3 aggregate score and advancing to the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League. This match fully demonstrated Bilbao’s resilience and offensive firepower, while also exposing the vulnerability of Roma with one man down.
It is worth mentioning that this is already the second time that a Serie A team has been overturned in European football – Juventus also suffered a reversal in the Champions League qualifying round. In contrast, Real Madrid was able to stabilize the situation in a similar situation, which shows that strength is still the key factor in determining the outcome of football matches.
Bilbao’s victory not only delighted the fans, but also brought glory to the Spanish La Liga. Next, they will continue to challenge stronger opponents in the Europa League quarterfinals, which is worth looking forward to!
