Rafiu Durosinmi’s assist was not enough to secure victory for Viktoria Plzen as they drew 1-1 with Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s Lazio in the second leg of their round of 16 tie, with the Italian side advancing to the Europa League quarterfinals after a hard-fought 3-2 win on aggregate.
Rafiu Durosinmi scored in the first leg which was played at the Doosan Arena, levelling the scoreline after Alessio Romagnoli had given the Italian side a first half lead. However, a late goal by Gustav Isaksen secured an impressive victory for Lazio despite receiving two red cards in the second half.
Lazio’s first leg win thus meant that Viktoria Plzen had to complete a remarkable comeback away from home if they were to have any chance of qualifying for the quarterfinals of the tournament.
While the first half was a goalless encounter, Viktoria Plzen got back into the tie in the early minutes of the second half as Rafiu Durosinmi was found with his back to goal in the box before touching the ball for Pavel Sulc who curled a superb effort into the back of the net to give the away side the lead on the night and level the aggregate scoreline to 2-2.
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After his sixth goal contribution in seven matches, Durosinmi’s race was run and he was replaced by 21-year-old Ghanaian, Prince Adu. Not long after, Lazio regained their lead in the tie as Alessio Romagnoli rose highest to head in Mattia Zaccagni’s brilliant delivery, making the game 1-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate.
As they looked to manage their lead and prevent further threat from the away side, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was introduced for his first appearance since returning from injury, coming on for Pedro Rodriguez in the 79th minute.
Despite attempts from Viktoria Plzen to level the scoreline once again, Lazio’s defense held firm, limiting the away side from creating significant chances that could lead to an equalizer. The Italian side remained disciplined until the full time whistle, eventually securing qualification to the quarterfinals.
Having been eliminated from the Europa League, Viktoria Plzen will turn their attention to their league campaign where they will face off against Banik Ostrava on Sunday, March 16. On the other hand, Lazio will continue their dream of winning their first Europa League title since 1998 when they face off against Bodo/Glimt in the quarterfinals.
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