Brighton 1-0 Roma (1-4 on agg): Danny Welbeck beauty in vain as spirited Seagulls exit UEFA Europa League

AS Roma progressed to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals despite a 1-0 defeat to Brighton on Thursday.

Roma were unfortunate not to take a five-goal aggregate lead when Sardar Azmoun’s emphatic effort was ruled out. With his back to goal, the striker brilliantly hooked the ball over the head of Bart Verbruggen, but it was ruled out for a high boot.

Soon after, Brighton raced down the left flank through Welbeck, who played a one-two with Pervis Estupinan before firing an effort into the top-right corner to break the deadlock in style and give the hosts hope of a stunning fightback.

However, similarly to the first leg in Rome, Brighton were not clinical enough in front of goal as the visitors held on to reach the last eight.

All the damage was done in the first leg when Brighton were carved open in Rome to concede four in a demolition job from De Rossi’s side. In the end, it came back to bite them as they could not overturn such a heavy deficit.

They had 30 shots over the two legs but could only find the net once – with probably the most unlikely strike from Welbeck – and will rue plenty of missed chances over the course of the tie, especially those wasted in Rome.

But it is easy to forget where Brighton have come from, this was not a terrible campaign for their first season in Europe. They came through an incredibly tough group and have since been struck with an unfortunate injury crisis, just at the wrong time.

Now, their attention turns to the Premier League where they will bid to return to European competition with a strong finish to the domestic campaign.

There was not really a single stand-out player from either side, but Welbeck deserves some recognition for his outstanding strike to put Brighton in the lead in the first half and give the hosts a glimmer of hope of something remarkable.

It was a goal worthy of winning the final, let alone sparking what would have been a historic comeback in the last 16, but it was not to be for Brighton who bowed out of their first European campaign to the Italian giants.

Brighton: Verbruggen 6, Lamptey 7, Van Hecke 7, Dunk 7, Estupinan 7, Gross 7, Gilmour 7, Lallana 6, Enciso 6, Adingra 7, Welbeck 8

Subs: Igor 6, Baleba N/A, Ferguson 5, Fati 6, Buonanotte 6

Roma: Svilar 8, Celik 6, Mancini 6, N’Dicka 6, Spinazzola 7, Bove 6, Cristante 6, Pellegrini 6, Baldanzi 6, Azmoun 6, Zalewski 6

Subs: Llorente 6, Aouar N/A, Costa N/A

22’ – GROSS DRAGS HIS SHOT WIDE! He weaves his way into the box but flashes his shot across the face of goal.

24’ – THE BALL IS IN THE BRIGHTON NET! But the referee has ruled it out! The ball drops to Azmoun in the box following a failed effort at a clearance from Gilmour, and the striker brilliantly hooks the ball over his own head and over the head of Verbruggen as it drops into the net at the back post. The referee feels his boot is too high though and rules it out. Brighton get away with one!

38’ – GOAL!!! – BRIGHTON 1-0 ROMA (WELBECK): Danny Welbeck fires Brighton into the lead! He drives into the final third, plays the ball to Estupinan on the left before getting it back, opens his body up and fires the ball into the top-right corner. Game on!

55’ – BIG PUNCH BY SVILAR! Fati delivers a great ball which flashes past Welbeck before the Roma goalkeeper punches clear! He never took his eye off the ball It needed the faintest of touches from Welbeck!

63’ – HUGE SAVE TO DENY ADINGRA! Gross whips in a delightful cross from the left and Adingra gets a good connection on it from close range, but Svilar reacts excellently to beat it away! A big, big chance!

• In UEFA Europa League history, no side has ever overturned a four-goal deficit from the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie to progress.