Athletic Club comes back against Rome and becomes favourite for Europa League title

Likely one of the most transcendental fixtures from Europa League round of 16 (second leg) played on Thursday) was the one played in San Mamés, Bilbao - which will also host the final on May 21. Roma and Athletic Club are two of the most powerful teams in the competition, but only one could pass. And while Roma had a one goal lead from last week, Athletic Club came back and ended 3-1 (4-2 on aggregate).

The match, however, was clearly defined by an early expulsion for Rome: Matt Hummels was shown red card (and reaffirmed by VAR) after a harsh tackle in the eleventh minute. It took Athletic a while, but finally the goals came, including from their 22-year-old gem Nico Williams, who delighted all of Spain alongside Lamine Yamal in the 2024 UEFA Euro Cup victory, and now thrives at Athletic Club, the fourth best team in LaLiga after Atlético de Madrid.

A lot more Europa League games were played on Thursday, which already has confirmed the qualification of Frankfurt (6-2 on aggregate to Ajax), Bodo/Glimt (4-2 on aggregate to Olympiacos) and Lazio (3-2 on aggregate to Vikctoria Plzen).