Brighton 1-0 Roma (agg 1-4): Seagulls fail to pull off miracle comeback after Danny Welbeck’s first-half strike at the Amex… as Roberto De Zerbi’s side crash out of Europe at the round of 16
- Brighton went into the second leg trailing 4-0 against Roma
- The Italian team, who lost the 2023 final on penalties, has advanced to the last eight
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Brighton salvaged some pride by beating Roma, but the required miracle was beyond their reach as Roberto De Zerbi’s men exited Europe at the Amex Stadium.
While West Ham won 5-0 and Liverpool 6-1 – two points that would have suited Brighton well – Roma held on after Danny Welbeck’s sensational strike in the first half.
Even Aston Villa’s 4-0 win could have sent this tie into extra time. Instead, Brighton’s European adventure came to an end and the eighth-placed side in the Premier League must now focus on finishing the season strongly to secure another season.
We had witnessed some famous comebacks in the second leg of European football: Liverpool beat Barcelona 4-0 after a 3-0 defeat in 2019; Barcelona defeated Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 after a 4-0 defeat in 2017; Deportivo La Coruna defeated AC Milan 4-0 after a 4-1 defeat in 2004.
What these comebacks all had in common was that goals were scored within the first ten minutes, but Roma avoided succumbing to Brighton’s early dominance here.
Danny Welbeck’s first-half goal was enough to give Brighton a 1-0 win on the night, but not enough to overturn the brutal 4-0 defeat they suffered in the first leg against Roma last week.
The former England international came home in the 37th minute to give Brighton a 1-0 lead
Lewis Dunk cheers on the fans after Brighton salvaged some pride with a 1-0 win on the night
Neither Jan Paul van Hecke nor Lewis Dunk could head home crosses to secure that quick breakthrough. While Liverpool took a 4-0 lead inside 14 minutes at Anfield, Brighton saw their chances squandered at the Amex, with Billy Gilmour volleying and Pascal Gross going wide.
In the 22nd minute, Roma scored with a beautiful acrobatic finish from Sardar Azmoun that went over Bart Verbruggen. It was disallowed due to a high foot which the Italians insisted was hard, earning manager Daniele De Rossi a warning for complaining.
Before half-time, Welbeck made it 1-0 by stylishly finding the top corner from 18 yards, giving Brighton hope if they could follow that up with a quick second goal.
There were handbags as Gianluca Mancini did no good to Italy’s reputation for feigning injury when he pretended Van Hecke had violently headbutted him. Lorenzo Pellegrini pushed past Pervis Estupinan in the aftermath as Brighton headed into the lead at half-time.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino and co-sporting director Paul Winstanley were at the Amex to watch this match in person. Romelu Lukaku, on loan to Roma, scored in the first leg but did not travel to the south coast for this second leg.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side will be hoping to regroup and finish the Premier League season strongly
Jan Paul van Hecke puts his head in his hands after wasting a golden opportunity for Brighton
De Zerbi receives a yellow card from referee Felix Zwaye halfway through the second leg
At the start of the second half, Welbeck was inches away from a fantastic Ansu Fati cross, delivered by De Zerbi as they looked to pile the pressure on Roma. Simon Adingra needed three goals without reply and should have buried a brilliant cross from Gross.
Roma were still a threat when Leonardo Spinazzola hit the corner of the woodwork after a beautiful run, although it was largely Brighton who were in charge.
By the end, Brighton had made 21 shots but only five on target. That told the story of a night in which they had plenty of chances to score but lacked the clinical finishing needed as they made their European exit.
