Lazio secured a place in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals for the first time since 2018, drawing 1-1 at the Stadio Olimpico to seal a 3-2 aggregate victory over Viktoria Plzen. The Czech side, still without an away knockout stage win in European competitions since 2014, needed a win on Italian soil to keep their hopes alive.
Plzen almost made a sensational start, with Pavel Sulc flicking the ball to Lukas Kalvach, whose powerful volley from just inside the box forced a spectacular save from Lazio’s Ivan Provedel in the fifth minute. However, Provedel nearly became the villain just minutes later when he passed the ball directly to Matej Vydra, whose shot narrowly missed the crossbar.
Lazio finally began to put pressure on the visitors midway through the half, with Pedro’s sharp turn and shot forcing a diving save from Martin Jedlicka. The goalkeeper also had to react quickly to push Nuno Tavares’ low drive just wide of the post. Despite the pressure, Lazio couldn’t break the deadlock before halftime, and the score remained level, thanks in part to Provedel’s last-minute save from Lukas Cerv’s clean strike.
The second half saw Plzen come out strong. Just seven minutes after the restart, they capitalized on sustained pressure. Rafiu Durosinmi flicked Kalvach’s cross down to Sulc, who powered home a strong finish for his fourth Europa League goal of the season, putting Plzen ahead on the night and drawing the aggregate score level at 2-2.
However, Lazio quickly regrouped and began pushing for a response. Despite some efforts, including a tame shot from Gustav Isaksen straight at Jedlicka, Lazio struggled to break down the Plzen defense. But with just 15 minutes remaining, Alessio Romagnoli came to the rescue once again. The defender rose highest to head Mattia Zaccagni’s corner against the base of the post and over the line, putting Lazio back in front on aggregate.
Plzen pressed hard in search of another goal to force extra time, but they couldn’t find the breakthrough. With the 1-1 draw on the night, Lazio advanced to the quarter-finals, where they will face Bodo/Glimt. Plzen, meanwhile, exit the competition after another disappointing away result, having won just twice in their last 19 Europa League away matches.
