In a thrilling Europa League last-16 clash, Roma secured a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao thanks to Eldor Shomurodov’s stoppage-time goal. The Serie A side had the better chances in the first half, with Artem Dovbyk and Paulo Dybala hitting the woodwork. However, it was Athletic who broke the deadlock in the second half through Inaki Williams’ header. The lead didn’t last long as Angelino equalized for Roma, and Athletic were reduced to 10 men late in the game. Shomurodov then sealed the win for Roma in the 93rd minute.
Meanwhile, Lazio also experienced late drama in their match against Viktoria Plzen. Despite having two players sent off in the second half, Lazio managed to secure a 2-1 victory. Rafiu Durosinmi’s header canceled out Alessio Romagnoli’s opener, but both Nicolo Rovella and Samuel Gigot were shown red cards. However, Gustav Isaksen’s sublime finish in the 98th minute secured the win for Lazio ahead of the second leg.
In other Europa League action, Eintracht Frankfurt staged a comeback to defeat Ajax 2-1, with goals from Hugo Larsson and Ellyes Skhiri. Bodo/Glimt also had an impressive performance, recording a 3-0 win against Olympiacos in their first leg, with Kasper Hogh scoring a brace.
The first leg matches provided plenty of excitement and late drama, setting up an intriguing second leg for these teams.
