Europa League, Bologna eliminates Roma: 4-3 in extra time and flies to the quarterfinals

Seven goals, spectacle and beautiful football. In the end, it’s Bologna who celebrates, conquering the Olimpico and reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League, a competition that Roma greets with their heads held high and with some regrets. The rossoblù, after the 1-1 draw against Dall’Ara, defeated the Giallorossi 4-3 in extra time in the cup derby at the end of a match full of infinite emotions. Guests ahead with Rowe (22′) and immediately caught again by N’Dicka (32′). At the end of the half, Bernardeschi brought the guests ahead from the penalty spot and Castro scored a hat-trick in the 58th minute. The game was changed by the 17-year-old Vaz, who replaced the dull El Shaarawy, who won the penalty to make it 3-2, then converted by Malen (69′), and gave Pellegrini the assist for the 3-3 goal in the 80th minute.

In extra time, Cambiaghi (111′) decided it, giving Bologna the quarter-finals and extinguishing Roma’s European dreams. Bernardeschi and his teammates will compete for a place in the semi-finals with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, who emerged victorious from their respective round of 16 match against Lille. Gasperini’s team says goodbye to the cups and will start again on Sunday at 6pm from the home match against Lecce valid for the 30th matchday of Serie A, the last before the national break. Bologna will host Lazio on Sunday at 3pm.

First half with few emotions and many interruptions. Roma with the game in hand and Bologna treacherous in the restart with Rowe and Bernardeschi. Gasperini loses Koné, not at his best physically, replaced by Pellegrini in the 20th minute. At the first real opportunity, the rossoblù took the lead: Castro pounced on a loose ball and fed Rowe, who beat Svilar from twenty meters with a right-footed shot in the 22nd minute. The Italian team becomes dangerous on the counterattack with Bernardeschi, who challenges Svilar with a right-footed shot from a tight angle. Roma came close to equalizing by hitting the crossbar from a free kick with Pellegrini in the 31st minute and a minute later they made it 1-1: Pellegrini’s corner on the head of N’Dicka, missed by Lucumì, who scored his fourth goal in the last four games and brought the match back into balance. At the end of the half, El Shaarawy’s naivety, who knocks down Zortea in the area and gives Bologna the opportunity to go into the locker room ahead in the score. Bernardeschi does not tremble from eleven meters and scores the 2-1 in the 45+2′ minute.

Bologna started the second half timidly, squeezing everything into their own half of the pitch trying to limit Roma’s dribbling. In the Giallorossi’s best moment, it was the guests who found the knockout blow. In the 58th minute Rowe snatched a careless N’Dicka on the edge of the area, Castro pounced on the ball and beat Svilar with a powerful right-footed shot in the penalty area. Game that seems to be on Bologna’s tracks, which offers the home team the opportunity to shorten the lead. Vaz slips into the area to Ferguson, who brings down the 17-year-old Frenchman and sends Malen from eleven metres. The Dutchman made no mistake from the spot and made it 3-2 in the 69th minute. Roma gained confidence and managed to equalize the score ten minutes from the 90th minute. Vaz turns Bologna’s rearguard upside down, serves Pellegrini on the edge of the area, who beats Ravaglia with a left-footed shot to make it 3-3. In the final, Freuler ate the goal to make it 4-3 and was unable to prevent his team from going into extra time. Tired teams and many inaccuracies and it is Bologna who takes advantage of it: in the 111th minute Dallinga pots in for Cambiaghi, who runs away behind N’Dicka and with the help of the post surpasses Svilar for the final 4-3 which gives the quarterfinals to the Bolognese.