Roma’s Europa League hopes all rest on the final game after their disappointing 1-0 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar, undone by a Troy Parrott tap-in to leapfrog them in the table.
2024/2025 UEFA Europa League
1-0
Match Events
The Giallorossi had got back on track in Serie A and were unbeaten in six competitive games, so were feeling confident in the trip to the Netherlands, even without injured Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante. AZ welcomed Kees Smit back from suspension, with Kristijan Belic and Sam Westerveld injured. There was just one point separating the two teams going into this game.
Manu Koné managed to block Sven Mijnans from close range for a corner and Artem Dovbyk tested the goalkeeper with a snapshot from distance.
Evan N’Dicka got it all wrong on the Poku roll across from the left, accidentally setting up Mexx Meerdink to balloon over the bar from the edge of the area.
Dovbyk was already on a yellow card after repeatedly tussling with Wouter Goes, so was replaced by Matias Soulè for the second half.
They had a big chance soon after, as Paulo Dybala volleyed just over after a classy Angelino ‘rabona’ cross from the left by-line.
Manu Koné had an effort charged down in the box and Soulè also hit a fresh-air shot on the Angelino pass, while Dybala’s back-heel flick had set up Soulè only for the decisive Jordy Clasie interception.
Seiya Maikuma’s header was too weak to trouble Mile Svilar, but AZ Alkmaar took the lead with a well-worked move 10 minutes from time. Clasie spread it down the flank for David Moller Wolfe to roll across from the left and substitute Troy Parrott, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, got there before teammate Ro-Zangelo Daal to sweep in from six yards.
Soulé controlled well only to flash the angled drive across the face of goal, then Dybala fired straight at the goalkeeper with the last kick of the game as Roma emerged empty-handed.
Line-ups
AZ XI: Jordy Clasie, Peer Koopmeiners, Sven Mijnans, Alexandre Penetra, David Møller Wolfe, Seiya Maikuma, Mayckel Lahdo, Ernest Poku, Wouter Goes, Mexx Meerdink, Rome Jayden Owusu-Oduro
Subs: Zoet, Indi, Hobie Verhulst, Mees de Wit, Parrott, Kristijan Belic, Zico Buurmeester, Maxim Dekker, Jayden Addai, Ro-Zangelo Daal, Kees Smit
Roma XI: Hummels, Paredes, Dybala, Angelino, Zeki Çelik, Artem Dovbyk, Mile Svilar, N'Dicka, Alexis Saelemaekers, Manu Koné, Niccolò Pisilli
Subs: El Shaarawy, Hermoso, Eldor Shomurodov, Pellegrini, G. Mancini, Nicola Zalewski, Saud Abdulhamid, Tommaso Baldanzi, Matías Soulé, Alessio Marcaccini