Introduction
The UEFA Europa League 2024-25 has delivered thrilling encounters in the Round of 16, featuring dramatic late winners, surprise defeats and teams looking strong contenders for the quarter-finals. Roma pulled off a last-gasp win against Athletic Bilbao while Tottenham suffered a tragic loss to AZ Alkmaar. Meanwhile, Bodo/Glimt took a big step towards the quarter-finals with an emphatic win over Olympiacos and Eintracht Frankfurt defeated Ajax Amsterdam. Let’s analyse the action-packed encounters from the latest Europa League fixtures.
AS Roma grab late win over Athletic Bilbao
A dramatic stoppage-time goal against Athletic Bilbao ensured a crucial 2-1 win for AS Roma. Roma missed two great chances in the first half when Artem Dovbyk slipped trying to shoot and Paulo Dybala hit the crossbar. Bilbao took the lead early in the second half when Inaki Williams scored with a header from close range. However, Roma soon equalised through Angelino’s strike which deflected in off the post after a precise pass from Zeki Celik.
Bilbao’s late collapse
Bilbao were reduced to ten men in the 85th minute when Yere Alvarez received a second yellow card. Roma took full advantage, with Eldor Shomurodov scoring a fine shot on the turn in stoppage time to seal the win. The Italian side now head into the second leg with a slight but crucial lead.
Tottenham lose to AZ Alkmaar
Tottenham suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to AZ Alkmaar. The English side fell behind in the 18th minute when Lukas Bergwall inadvertently deflected a corner into his own net. Despite their efforts, Spurs struggled to create clear chances, and failed to register a shot on target in the first half.
Missed opportunities
Bergwall attempted to redeem himself in the second half with a long-range strike that narrowly missed the target, but Tottenham were unable to find an equaliser. The result left them with an uphill battle in the return leg.
Lazio beat Viktoria Plzen despite red card
Lazio recorded a tight 2-1 win over Viktoria Plzen despite finishing the match with only nine players. The visitors took an early lead through Alessio Romagnoli’s header in the 18th minute, but Viktoria Plzen equalised in the second half through Rafiu Durosinmi’s close-range header.
Lazio’s last win
The match looked set to be a draw, especially after Lazio had both Nicolo Rovella and Samuel Gigot sent off. However, in the 98th minute Gustav Isaksen scored a superb shot to give the Italian club an incredible win.
Bodo/Glimt dominate Olympiacos
Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt took a strong step towards the quarter-finals with a 3-0 home win over Olympiacos. The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Olympiacos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzoulakis accidentally deflected Jostein Gundersen’s header into his own net.
Commanding lead
Kasper Høgh doubled the lead just before halftime by tapping in Ole Blomberg’s cross. The forward then scored again in the second half with another close-range effort to give Bodo/Glimt a comfortable lead ahead of the return match in Greece.
Eintracht Frankfurt win 2-1 over Ajax
Ajax took an early lead in their encounter with Eintracht Frankfurt when Brian Brobbey scored with a header in the 10th minute. However, Frankfurt responded immediately and equalised through Hugo Larsson’s powerful strike that took a slight deflection off an Ajax defender.
Frankfurt’s winner
The decisive goal came in the second half when Ansgar Knoff finished off a superbly executed counterattack to give Frankfurt the win. The German club will now aim to finish the job in the second leg.
Conclusion
The UEFA Europa League 2024-25 Round of 16 first leg matches have already seen plenty of drama, with AS Roma, Lazio, Bodo/Glimt and Eintracht Frankfurt securing crucial wins. Meanwhile, Tottenham will have to work hard after a disappointing defeat. As the competition progresses, there will be more exciting matches to watch as teams battle it out to make it to the quarter-finals.