Athletic Bilbao secured their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals with a dramatic 3-1 victory over 10-man Roma on Thursday, overturning a first-leg deficit to win 4-3 on aggregate. Nico Williams was the star of the show, scoring a crucial brace as Bilbao capitalized on Roma’s early red card.
Roma’s veteran center-back Mats Hummels was sent off in the 11th minute for a last-man tackle on Maroan Sannadi, giving Bilbao the numerical advantage. The Basque side quickly ramped up the pressure and broke the deadlock just before the break. Inaki Williams sent a cross to his brother Nico at the back post, and though Nico’s shot took a deflection off Angelino, it found the net to give Bilbao a 1-0 lead.
Yuri Berchiche extended the lead in the 68th minute with a powerful header from a corner, putting Bilbao 2-0 ahead. Nico Williams sealed the win with another fine strike eight minutes from time. Although Leandro Paredes scored a last-minute penalty for Roma, it wasn’t enough, and Bilbao held firm to advance.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt delivered an impressive performance, hammering Ajax 4-1 at home to seal a 6-2 aggregate victory. Goals from Jean-Matteo Bahoya, Hugo Ekitike, and a brace from Mario Götze made light work of the Dutch side, sending Eintracht through to the quarter-finals.
In other matches, Lazio progressed with a 1-1 draw at home to Viktoria Plzen, winning 3-2 on aggregate, while Bodo/Glimt triumphed over Olympiakos despite a 2-1 defeat on the night, progressing 4-2 on aggregate.
The Europa League action continues with Manchester United and Tottenham needing to overcome Real Sociedad and AZ Alkmaar, respectively, to secure their spots in the quarters. Chelsea, meanwhile, host Copenhagen in the Conference League, holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg.
