Nico Williams scored twice as Athletic Club advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals with a 3-1 second-leg win over 10-man Roma, securing a 4-3 aggregate victory. Lazio also progressed after a 1-1 home draw with Viktoria Plzen, setting up a clash with Bodø/Glimt, who continued their European journey despite a 2-1 loss at Olympiakos. Eintracht Frankfurt comfortably dispatched Ajax with a 4-1 win, sealing their place in the last eight.
Roma, holding a 2-1 advantage from the first leg, suffered an early setback when Mats Hummels received a red card in the 11th minute for bringing down Maroan Sannadi after a misplaced pass. Williams equalized on aggregate just before halftime with a shot that deflected off Angeliño and into the net. Athletic took the lead in the tie when Yuri Berchiche headed in from a corner with 22 minutes remaining. Williams then doubled the lead, seemingly putting the result beyond doubt. However, an added-time penalty converted by Leandro Paredes ensured a tense finish before Athletic secured progression. The final of the competition will be held in Bilbao, adding further incentive for the Spanish club.
“I’m really looking forward to being in that final,” Williams said. “To be Athletic is to suffer, and we also had to have that little bit of suffering at the end. We did an incredible job and we deserved to go through.”
Lazio, having won the first leg 2-1 away, faced a determined Viktoria Plzen side that leveled the tie early in the second half when Pavel Sulc fired home after receiving a layoff from Rafiu Durosinmi. The Italian side avoided extra time when Alessio Romagnoli rose highest to head in a corner 13 minutes from the end, securing a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Bodø/Glimt carried a commanding three-goal cushion into their return leg against Olympiakos and extended their advantage when Kasper Høgh, who had scored twice in the first leg, slotted in from close range. Olympiakos responded with two goals from Roman Yaremchuk and had a chance to mount a comeback, but a missed penalty and the dismissal of goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis hindered their efforts. Bodø/Glimt advanced with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Eintracht Frankfurt entered their clash with Ajax holding a 2-1 lead from the first leg and wasted little time in asserting dominance. Jean-Mattéo Bahoya and Mario Götze scored within 25 minutes to put the German side firmly in control. Hugo Ekitike then produced a brilliant solo goal to put the contest beyond doubt before Kenneth Taylor pulled one back for Ajax. However, Götze struck again to seal a 6-2 aggregate triumph for Frankfurt, who comfortably moved on to the quarter-finals.
