UEL: Athletic Club Reach Europa League Quarterfinals with Win Over Roma

Athletic Club advance to the Europa League quarterfinals with a 3-1 win over AS Roma, thanks to goals from Nico Williams, Yuri Berchiche, and a deflected effort from Nico Williams.

Athletic Club secured a quarterfinal berth in the UEFA Europa League, defeating 10-man AS Roma 3-1 at Estadio San Mames and clinching a 4-3 aggregate victory. This win ended Roma's eight-match unbeaten streak, with Athletic's triumph fueled by a raucous home crowd.

The hosts began the match with purpose, pressing forward in search of an early goal to overturn the deficit from the first leg. Although the opening 10 minutes yielded few clear-cut chances, Roma suffered a significant setback when experienced center-back Mats Hummels received his marching orders. After Maroan Sannadi intercepted a stray square pass, Hummels attempted to recover with a sliding challenge, but his mistimed tackle resulted in an early red card.

Despite being a man down, Roma coped admirably with their numerical disadvantage, struggling for possession but posing little threat to Athletic's goal. However, Ernesto Valverde's side squandered opportunities to capitalize on their advantage. Sannadi wasted a close-range chance with a wayward chip, while Nico Williams cut in from the left and rattled the post with a powerful shot. Just as it seemed the first half would end goalless, Roma's resistance was finally broken with the last action of the half.

A tactical switch by Ernesto Valverde paid off just before halftime, as brothers Inaki and Nico Williams swapped wings. The move yielded immediate dividends when Inaki delivered a cross from the left, which Maroan Sannadi headed into the path of Nico. Nico's subsequent shot took a significant deflection off Angelino, but the ball ultimately found its way into the net, giving Athletic a crucial halftime lead.

Roma regrouped during the break and resumed their defensive efforts, frustrating the hosts and limiting clear-cut chances. Athletic's breakthrough came close when Eldor Shomurodov, the hero of the first leg, came off the bench and sprinted clear of the Roma defense. However, his effort was denied by Mile Svilar at the near post. Normal service resumed, with Alex Berenguer testing Svilar with an impressive save before Athletic finally took the aggregate lead.

Athletic Club complete the second-leg comeback 🔴⚪️#UEL pic.twitter.com/lEm4eZYoWx

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 13, 2025

The decisive moment arrived when Alex Berenguer's corner was met by a brilliant header from Yuri Berchiche. His arched effort sailed into the far corner, leaving Svilar with no chance of making a save. With the onus now on Roma to attack, they struggled to produce quality in the final third, having managed just three shots in the opening 75 minutes. The contest was effectively sealed when Nico Williams added a third goal, jinking inside Gianluca Mancini and dinking the ball over Svilar to secure Athletic's place in the last eight with their fifth consecutive UEL home win.

Roma's European campaign came to a close despite a 93rd-minute consolation penalty from Leandro Paredes. Their winless return from their last 11 UEL away games on foreign soil ultimately proved costly. With their European aspirations extinguished, the Giallorossi will now focus solely on Serie A.