Brighton-Roma 1-0: Welbeck's goal isn't enough for De Zerbi. Rossoneri in the quarterfinals of the Europa League

Brighton 14 March 2024 - Sweet defeat for the Rome in England: at the Amex Stadium in fact the Romans lost 1-0 against Brighton, but they don't concede the turnaround and reach the quarter-finals of Europa League. The network of Welbeck scares, but the Capitoline rearguard doesn't concede much else, thus allowing them to maintain three of the four goal margins obtained in the first leg match. De Zerbi Thus farewells the continental competitions, while the Romans for the fourth consecutive year are among the top eight of their European competition.

First half

De Zerbi confirms almost all the indiscretions of the day before, lining up Bridge between the posts instead of Steele, goalkeeper in the first leg match. Confirmed gilmour e Gross in the midfield, the real surprise is on the attacking midfielder line, with Lallana in place of Good night, Together with enciso e Adingra, behind Welbeck. The Rossi instead he opts for complete turnover in attack: they play Baldanzi, Azmoun e Zalewskiwhile they rest Dybala, Lukaku (remained at Rome) and El Shaarawy. bove grants rest to Paredes, while on defense N'Dicka e Mancini they are the two central ones in front of Silker.

The script of the match is soon written: the Seagulls of De Zerbi they have to recover the four-goal deficit they suffered in the first leg, so they immediately try to impose their own rhythm on the match. There Rome for his part, he is in no hurry and also accepts the opponent's pressing, then trying to quickly verticalize, taking advantage of the speed of his players in attack. Not only this, when the Romans are in difficulty they are not shy and even accept to commit a foul, just to take away the rhythm of the opposing team. Precisely for this reason the first yellow card of the match arrives after just 12 minutes and it is Mancini to end up in the bad guys' notebook, after landing enciso at the edge of the area. 

The match struggled to get off the ground despite the home team's insistent possession and the counterattack Rome on the other side he is missing and it is necessary to wait until the quarter of an hour of play to see a real shot attempt. He tries Azmoun from the edge, but his diagonal attempt is wide to the right of Bridge. The scare seems to arouse the cynicism of the English. In fact, there are two opportunities for the home team around the twentieth minute: first Gilmour volleys a short clearance Zalewski, but does not find the door mirror, the same happens sixty seconds later with Gross to strike out on his own and kick diagonally with his right foot after dribbling N'DickaHowever, the German's attempt was too strangled.

The match heats up both on a competitive level on the pitch and on an emotional level. In the 22nd minute in fact Azmoun scores with an overhead kick at the end of a quick counterattack well managed by the Giallorossi, Zwayer however he disallowed the goal for dangerous play, with the Iranian hitting not only the ball but also the face of his marker. Protests from the Giallorossi bench which also cost a yellow card De Rossi. The fear of conceding a goal ignites the hosts, who begin to pitch their tents in the Giallorossi half of the field and after the yellow cards waved for Lamptey e N'Dicka, they find the first seal of the encounter. The one to put his signature on the goal that opens the scoring Welbeck: the English attacker in fact receives on the edge of the area and unloads a wonderful right-footed shot to the far post, where Silker it can't arrive. The joy of the Amex Stadium explodes, Brighton 1-0 ahead in the 37th minute and fans pushing the Seagulls in search of the unexpected comeback.

However, the goal does not ignite the match, on the contrary it only makes it more nervous. The final minutes of the first half were in fact conditioned only by the many yellow cards: one for the English at the address of Estupiñán, two instead for the Capitolines to sanction Pellegrini e Silker. The result, however, did not undergo any further changes and at half-time the British were only ahead 1-0, with the boys from The Rossi to keep away the opponent's comeback attempt.

Second half

No changes at half-time, with the same twenty-two protagonists of the first half resuming the match. Immediately the Brighton to try to resume the script of the first half, while seeking greater concreteness in attack. Just five minutes in fact and the first solo arrives enciso in the second half, however, the Paraguayan's attempt did not scare Silker. De Zerbi he tries them all and in the 53rd minute he sends them onto the field Good night e Ansu Fati, replacing enciso e Lallana, both of which are not very dangerous. The newcomers, however, showed themselves to be in the game straight away and tried to ignite the Seagulls' attack, but Roma's rearguard held up with some difficulty.

La Rome however, she is far from giving in, on the contrary she is determined to assert herself and Spinazzola in the 59th minute he lights up, turning the opposing defense upside down. Vertical slalom to the center of the pitch, which cuts the English rearguard in two and leads the full-back to a left-footed shot in the penalty area: the ball, however, hits the top corner. It would have been a wonderful goal for the Giallorossi had it found the back of the net. 

The fear and the passing of the minutes force De Zerbi to become further unbalanced: another attacker enters Ferguson, together with Igor, go out Estupiñán e Lamptey. Two changes that immediately increase the attacking quality of the English, 62nd minute cross from the left by Anshu Fati, very good at fishing Adingra all alone in the heart of the Roma penalty area. The Ivorian's headed attempt is a sure shot, but hits the figure of Silker, very good with his reflex to block the shot from very close range. The Brighton winger despairs, aware of having failed the chance that would have definitively reopened the qualification discussion. Seagulls still dangerous in the 70th minute in search of a second: another cross from the left, this time from Welbeck, for the header in the area by FROM hedge. The position is anything but prohibitive, but the attempt misses the target. The boys' attack De Zerbi however, he is besieging the Giallorossi rearguard. 

The Rossi he reads the moment of difficulty and makes his first substitution of the match, thus entering the field Llorente, instead of a generous one Zalewski. The script of the match, however, obviously does not change, indeed in the 76th minute another shiver runs down the back of the Capitoline defense. Igor shoots from far away, finding excellent opposition from Silker, on tap-in Adingra is walled in by the excellent recovery coverage of N'Dicka. The boys of The Rossi they begin to see the finish line banner, while the stopwatch is now past the eightieth mark of the race. The Roma coach makes a second substitution to put the match on ice and enters the pitch Aouar for Baldanzi, De Serve instead, his last card is played, with the entry of Balaba for gilmour.

This brings us to the ninetieth minute, with the entrance of João Costa for Azmoun of Rome to open the recovery five. In extra time the Brighton shows no sign of decreasing his pressure, demonstrating great pride and spirit. Ansu Fati in the 92nd minute he commits again Silker with a nice right from thirty meters, deflected into a corner, but it is the last emotion of the match. There Rome loses 1-0 Brighton, but it's a sweet defeat, because the Romans reach the quarter-finals of Europa League, eliminating the team of De Zerbi.