Roma secured their place in the Europa League last 16 with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Porto at the Stadio Olimpico. Paulo Dybala was the hero for the Italian side, scoring twice to overturn Porto’s early lead and inspire a comeback that sent them through to the next round.
Porto, who held a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, started the match brightly and took the lead in the 18th minute through a spectacular overhead kick from Samu. The Portuguese side looked to be in control, but Roma responded quickly, with Dybala showcasing his individual brilliance to level the score.
Dybala’s first goal came in the 35th minute, as he danced through the Porto defense before lifting the ball over the onrushing Diogo Costa. He then added a second just four minutes later, cutting inside and firing a shot past Costa at the near post.
Porto’s hopes of a comeback were dealt a blow early in the second half when Stephen Eustáquio was shown a red card for a reaction to Leandro Paredes. The numerical disadvantage proved costly for the Portuguese side, as Roma took control of the match.
Roma sealed the victory in the 83rd minute when Niccolo Pisilli converted an Angelino cutback to secure a 3-1 win and a 3-2 aggregate victory for the Italian side.
Roma’s victory sees them progress to the last 16 of the Europa League, where they will face one of the winners from the Champions League play-off round. The draw for the next round will take place on Friday.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
