ROME, March 19 : Bologna advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday after Nicolo Cambiaghi struck late in extra time to secure a 4-3 second-leg win at AS Roma and a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Aston Villa also progressed, beating Lille 2-0 at Villa Park to complete a comfortable 3-0 aggregate success, while Real Betis and FC Porto cruised through with commanding overall wins.
Bologna took the lead in Rome when Jonathan Rowe fired home in the 22nd minute after being set up by Santiago Castro, but Roma drew level 10 minutes later as Evan Ndicka powered in a header from a corner.
The visitors restored their aggregate advantage before halftime through a Federico Bernardeschi penalty, awarded after Stephan El Shaarawy fouled Nadir Zortea, and Castro made it 3-1 on the night shortly after the break.
Roma mounted a late fightback as Donyell Malen converted a penalty in the 69th minute following Remo Freuler’s foul on Robinio Vaz, before captain Lorenzo Pellegrini struck 10 minutes from time to force extra time.
The tie was settled in the second period of extra time when Cambiaghi found space in the area and drove a low shot past the goalkeeper to seal Bologna’s progress.
VILLA IN CONTROL
In England, Aston Villa were rarely troubled as they protected their first-leg advantage before taking control after the break.
Captain John McGinn opened the scoring in the 54th minute with a clinical finish on the counter-attack, and Leon Bailey rolled the ball into an empty net four minutes from time to confirm Villa’s third successive European quarter-final appearance.
Betis overturned their first-leg deficit against Panathinaikos with a dominant 4-0 home win, as Aitor Ruibal and Sofyan Amrabat struck before the interval and second-half goals from Cucho Hernandez and Antony completed a 4-1 aggregate victory. The Spanish side will face Braga in the last eight.
In Portugal, FC Porto beat VfB Stuttgart 2-0 on the night to secure a 4-1 aggregate win. William Gomes opened the scoring from close range before Victor Froholdt doubled the lead in the 72nd minute.
Stuttgart’s hopes faded further when Nikolas Nartey was sent off for a second booking in the 77th minute.
Porto set up a quarter-final meeting with Nottingham Forest, who earlier advanced on penalties against FC Midtjylland.
(Tommy Lund in Gdansk, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
