Roma put one foot in the Europa League quarter-finals with a scintillating 4-0 home victory against Brighton & Hove Albion. Daniele De Rossi’s side delivered an electrifying performance at the Stadio Olimpico to brush the Seagulls aside in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
It took Roma only 13 minutes to open the scoring. In-form superstar Paulo Dybala showed composure in front of goal to maintain his devastating form, giving Giallorossi an early lead. Romelu Lukaku doubled the hosts’ advantage on the stroke of halftime with a poacher’s finish, netting in his second consecutive appearance after a 4-1 thumping of Monza.
However, not even the most optimistic Roma fans would’ve foreseen what was yet to come. After missing several decent chances at the start of the second half, the Italians found an all-important third goal through Gianluca Mancini, who slotted home Stephan El Shaarawy’s cross from point-blank range after being left unmarked on the far post.
Brighton barely recovered from Mancini’s strike when goalkeeper Jason Steele had to take the ball out of his net again. Bryan Cristante returned to the scoresheet after a while to cap off a memorable night in Rome, putting Roma on the brink of a third successive European quarter-finals. Let’s look out at our Giallorossi ratings.
Roma (4-3-3)
Mile Svilar – 7.5
There’s no longer any doubt about the Serbian’s credentials. He was impressive between the sticks tonight, making several crucial saves to keep Brighton at bay.
Zeki Celik – 7
One of his best offensive performances this season led to an array of problems for the visiting backline as the Turkish star established total control of the right-hand side.
Gianluca Mancini – 7.5
Not only did the Italian defender have Danny Welbeck in his back pocket all game, but he also found time and space to grab a goal to put a crowning achievement on his phenomenal display.
Evan Ndicka – 7
Dominant in the air and impeccable when had to make defensive tackles, the Ivorian lived up to expectations tonight, even though he can still work on his calmness on the ball.
Leonardo Spinazzola – 7
Completed numerous progressive runs down the left flank and looked lively whenever Roma had a chance to hurt Brighton on a counter, though his poor decision-making let him down more than once.
Bryan Cristante – 7.5
Arguably his most eye-catching showing since the calendar year flipped to 2024! Almost unplayable on the ball and laser-sharp in his passing, he well deserved to break his long-standing scoring duck.
Leandro Paredes – 7.5
Provided a pivotal assist for Dybala for the opening goal and continued to grow as the game progressed, piecing together an outrageous performance.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 7
Not as decisive as he has grown to become under De Rossi, but still showcased glimpses of his midfield masterclass when called to orchestrate the play in the front third.
Stephan El Shaarawy – 8
It feels like he has benefited the most from De Rossi’s decision to switch to a 4-3-3, as evidenced by another outstanding display, rounded off with two second-half assists.
Paulo Dybala – 7.5
With the Argentine in this kind of form, the future looks bright for Roma.
Romelu Lukaku – 7
Grabbed a morale-boosting goal to maintain his free-scoring form in the Europa League.
Substitutes
Tommaso Baldanzi – 6.5
Edoardo Bove – 6
Diego Llorente – 6.5
Sardar Azmoun – N/A
Nicola Zalewski – N/A
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