March 07, (THEWILL)- Brighton and Hove Albion’s memorable UEFA Europa League journey hit a major roadblock on Thursday night, as they were comprehensively beaten 4-0 by Roma in the first leg of their last-16 tie. Roberto De Zerbi’s side had impressively won their previous four games in the competition to reach this stage, but were overpowered by the Italian giants at the Stadio Olimpico.
The visitors were rocked by first-half strikes from Paulo Dybala and Romelu Lukaku in the Italian capital. Any hopes of a fightback were swiftly extinguished after the interval, as Gianluca Mancini and Bryan Cristante, netted in quick succession to leave Brighton facing a mountainous task in the second leg at the Amex Stadium.Â
Despite the demoralising scoreline, the English Premier League outfit did create opportunities, with Danny Welbeck spurning several gilt-edged chances. The striker’s profligacy ultimately proved costly as Roma ruthlessly killed off the tie courtesy of Mancini and Cristante’s second-half efforts.
The heavy defeat compounded a difficult trip for Brighton’s travelling fans after two supporters suffered minor stab wounds prior to the match amid reported clashes with local gangs.
A hostile atmosphere greeted the players at the Stadio Olimpico, though the Seagulls will hope for a much warmer reception when they attempt to overturn the four-goal deficit on home soil next week.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
