Rafiu Durosinmi delivered a standout performance in Viktoria Plzen’s Europa League showdown against Lazio, providing an assist that briefly raised his team’s hopes.
But despite his efforts, Plzen’s European dreams came crashing down as Lazio sealed a 3-2 aggregate victory to reach the quarter-finals, Footballrover reports.
Rafiu Durosinmi’s assist against Lazio sparked hope, but It wasn’t enough
Plzen arrived in Rome knowing they needed a historic win to overturn their first-leg deficit.
They started brightly, with Pavel Šulc and Matěj Vydra testing Lazio’s defense early on.
Their persistence paid off in the 52nd minute when Rafiu Durosinmi’s assist against Lazio set up Šulc for the game’s opening goal.
The Nigerian forward expertly knocked down Lukáš Kalvach’s cross, allowing Šulc to fire home his fourth Europa League goal of the season.
However, Lazio, determined to protect their lead, increased the pressure.
The visitors held firm until the 75th minute when Alessio Romagnoli’s header off a Mattia Zaccagni corner bounced off the post and crossed the line, sealing Plzen’s fate.
Durosinmi, who had worked tirelessly, was substituted in the 72nd minute, making way for Prince Adu.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru joins the action as Lazio march on
While Durosinmi’s contribution made headlines, another Nigerian, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, also took center stage.
Introduced in the 79th minute for Pedro Rodríguez, the Lazio midfielder helped his side see out the match and secure their first Europa League quarter-final spot since 2018.
Plzen’s exit extends their poor record in European knockout stage away matches, having failed to win on the road since 2014.
Meanwhile, Lazio will now prepare to face Bodø/Glimt in the last eight, keeping their continental ambitions alive.
Be the first to comment on "Rafiu Durosinmi’s assist not enough as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru’s Lazio knock Viktoria Plzen out of Europa League"