March 13, (THEWILL) – Athletic Club advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals following a 4-3 aggregate victory over Roma, who finished the match with 10 men at San Mames.
The Spanish side won the second leg 3-1, overturning their first-leg deficit against the Italian outfit.
The pivotal moment occurred in the 11th minute when Roma defender Mats Hummels received a straight red card for a professional foul on Maroan Sannadi.
Nico Williams capitalised on the numerical advantage, scoring a deflected strike in first-half stoppage time to level the tie on aggregate.
Yuri Berchiche put Athletic Club ahead in the 68th minute with a powerful header, fundamentally altering the complexion of the contest.
Williams later added his second goal of the evening through an impressive individual effort eight minutes from time, establishing a commanding lead for Ernesto Valverde’s team.
Roma, who had previously progressed from all nine European knockout ties when winning the first leg, could not maintain this record.
Leandro Paredes converted a stoppage-time penalty after Andoni Gorosabel fouled Stephan El Shaarawy, but this proved insufficient for Claudio Ranieri’s side to remain in the competition.
The Spanish club demonstrated superior tactical awareness following the red card incident, effectively utilising their advantage to dominate possession and create numerous opportunities.
Their victory sets up an intriguing quarter-final tie as they continue their European campaign in 2025.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
