Brighton and Hove Albion’s European journey came to an end as the task of putting five goals past Roma proved beyond them.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side put up a tremendous fight at the Amex Stadium and could have scored several more goals than their eventual 1-0 win reflected, with Simon Adingra, Jan Paul van Hecke and Ansu Fati all unlucky.
Roma, meanwhile, did exactly what they needed to cross the 90 minutes as they sat in and worked down the clock.
After a bruising first leg in Rome, this match was always going to feel different. That did not stop there being several lessons to take away, though.
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Brighton have hearts of lions
Coming into this second leg in poor form, Brighton knew they had to improve their standards from a five-match run that has only produced one win; a hard-fought 1-0 over Nottingham Forest.
The Seagulls responded superbly in this tie.
From start to finish, a team that saw its most reliable performers picked would not back down from the challenge of putting five goals past Roma.
The selection of Adam Lallana in midfield, for example, was a fascinating one.
Seen to be on his way to retirement this summer, the 35-year-old was at the heart of everything good the hosts did in the first half.
He took up positions that pestered the visitors, linked up between midfield and attack faultlessly and even had time to get involved in two petulant moments.
Recognising the importance of throwing Roma off their task, Lallana showed he was no shrinking violet when it came to some confrontation, responding to two poor tackles and geeing his side up.
Julio Enciso rallied the East Stand, while Bart Verbruggen had been vocal in the game’s build-up, talking up Brighton’s chances.
Man-of-the-Match Jan Paul van Hecke amped his usual passion up to 11, and Lewis Dunk was the captain Brighton needed, balancing physicality with a maturity that will impress England manager Gareth Southgate.
Altogether, while they did not scale the heights they so badly wanted, Brighton could be proud of the journey that got them this far.
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Roma possess plenty of Italian steel
In absolute contrast to Brighton, Roma came to the Amex seeking only one thing; a clean sheet.
They did not get that of course – Danny Welbeck’s sizzling strike was as good as any you could ask for – but there will be few better defensive performances by any team that visits Sussex this season.
There was plenty of cynicism and histrionics about their stand; in the first half, centre-backs Gianluca Mancini and Evan Ndicka, and goalkeeper Mile Svilar, were all booked for momentum-sapping offences, and each were lucky that they did not misstep afterwards.
No doubt, they took their time about things. But any other side would have done the same in their position.
The impressive part of their performance was maintaining stamina as the Seagulls’ pressure persisted.
Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante were particularly effective as barriers to attacks down the middle, while Edoardo Bove did brilliantly for a player that Daniele De Rossi has admitted he does not see as a midfielder.
Nicola Zalewski and Tommaso Baldanzi, both young men unaccustomed to this stage, did what was required of them to carry the ball on the counter, and Roma did very well to dictate the game in the ten minutes after half-time.
Most frustratingly from a Brighton perspective, Roma’s full-backs Leonardo Spinazzola and Zeki Çelik had control of their positions and gave young wingers Enciso, Adingra and Fati some big lessons.
There was little joy where Brighton so typically find it, which De Rossi will be delighted with.
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Pedro problems persist
It is no coincidence that Brighton’s goal-shy form has aligned with the loss of João Pedro to a serious hamstring issue.
The Seagulls’ top goalscorer should be back after the international break, but in this game, his absence was frustrating for the entire home contingent and a decisive factor behind the eventual aggregate rout.
Pedro has been many things to Brighton since arriving last summer, with his finishing, link-up, excellent running and infectious energy all invaluable skills.
He is not the finished article – far from it if De Zerbi’s confidence in the Brazilian is to be believed – but even he would have made more of Brighton’s second-half chances than those present did.
The number of times the hosts got the by-line and cut the ball back, or stood a cross up and waited for someone to latch onto the rebound, was ridiculous.
Whether fans wanted to laugh or despair was up to them, but there would have been even more smiles on faces if Pedro had an equivalent in his quality of finishing.
Nobody knows what this summer will hold for Brighton, and whether they can hold onto talents like Pedro, Enciso and Adingra, let alone their spiritual leader De Zerbi, but if they are serious about another European run, one more recruit with some firepower will be key.
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De Rossi has work to do
Football does not take time to sit still, and less than 24 hours after the final whistle blew on the Round of 16 matches, fans are already discovering who their sides are facing in the Europa League Quarter-Finals.
For Roma, the last eight offers a domestic flight to Milan, taking on Stefano Pioli’s side and then either Bayer Leverkusen or West Ham in the Semi-Finals, if they were to make it that far.
AC Milan are a side I Giallorossi have not beaten in their last nine attempts, with their last success being pre-pandemic, in October 2019.
To change that statistic, De Rossi will need a much more balanced performance than was required at the Amex.
Striker Sardar Azmoun had a miserable night, with his highlight being a first-half goal ruled out for a high boot, before being guilty of three risible misses.
Romelu Lukaku will be back for the two-legged encounter in April, but to succeed over the long haul of this competition, Roma need more consistency.
Their creature comforts of playing at home – where they have only lost two of their last 39 European matches – are well-profiled, but the picture changes when the opposition is Italian.
They are unlikely to be so fortunate as to have such a serious second-leg lead to protect again, so their next battle ought to be a belter.
They can be cannier, braver and more cohesive than they were at the Amex, and it would make for a brilliant occasion if they are.