BILBAO (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Roma struggled with 10 men at the San Mamés, but said goodbye to the Europa League in the round of 16 after four consecutive seasons with at least the semifinals in the bag.
Hummels’ expulsion early in the match was an invitation to a wedding party for Athletic Bilbao, which beat the Giallorossi 3-1 thanks to goals from Nico Williams (a brace) and Berchiche, overturned the 2-1 first leg and qualified for the quarterfinals, where it will cross one between Rangers and Fenerbahce.
On the eve of the match Ranieri promised that his team would “attack in eleven and defend in eleven.” He did so, but only for a few minutes. In the 11th minute, it was the most experienced player who betrayed Roma: Hummels misjudged a horizontal pass in midfield and knocked down Sannadi who had shot into the net. Referee Turpin has no doubts and expels the German defender.
The game changed and became a siege by the Basques, but Ranieri did not replace Baldanzi and Dybala, deployed as starters in support of Dovbyk. On 21′ the same Sannadi wasted from right in front of Svilar, while two minutes later it was Nico Williams who gave the Giallorossi a scare with a right-footed shot that ended at the post. Roma made an appearance in 35′ in Agirrezabala’s sides with a right-footed shot by Cristante on the development of a corner, but collapsed in the last minute of stoppage time.
On the development of a cross from the left, the ball slipped through and ended up at the feet of Nico Williams who kicked and with the complicity of a deflection by Angelino beat Svilar. For Ranieri’s first change we have to wait until 53′: out goes a disappointing Dovbyk, in comes Soulè. Almost an invitation from the coach to his players to try to dialogue with the ball on the ground.
The light attack was short-lived, however: Dybala gave way to Shomurodov, while Baldanzi was replaced by Pisilli. It is precisely the two newcomers who build Roma’s first goal-ball: the 2004 class launches the Uzbek, who gets deep to the shot and forces Agirrezabala to take refuge in the corner.
Roma was saved in the 64th minute by Svilar, who made a miracle on Berenguer, but the 2-0 came four minutes later: Berchiche soared a header on the development of a corner and sent the ball into the net. A match to frame for the outfielder, who also serves an assist to Nico Williams in the 82nd minute: the number 10 skips over half the Roma defense and scores the 3-0. Roma believed and in the recovery shortened it with Paredes on a penalty scored by El Shaarawy. Not enough. Bilbao celebrates and dreams of the final in its stadium.
-Photo Ipa/Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
