Roma’s Away Woes Continue with 1-0 Loss to AZ Alkmaar

ALKMAAR, Netherlands — Roma‘s struggles on the road persisted Thursday as they fell 1-0 to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, extending their winless streak in away matches to 18 games. The decisive goal came in the 80th minute from substitute Troy Parrott, leaving Roma’s hopes of direct qualification in jeopardy.

Despite controlling much of the match, Roma failed to capitalize on their opportunities, with Paulo Dybala‘s late attempt sailing over the bar. The loss means Roma must now secure a result in next week’s home leg against Eintracht Frankfurt and potentially face playoffs to advance.

“We have to improve away from home,” said Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes after the match. “We came into this game with the right mindset, but this performance isn’t good enough.”

AZ Alkmaar, unbeaten in their last two months, capitalized on Roma’s defensive lapse when Parrott, left unmarked in the box, slotted home a cross from Wolfe. The goal came just minutes after Parrott entered the game, marking his 11th of the season.

Roma manager Claudio Ranieri made tactical changes, including substituting Saelemaekers for El Shaarawy, but the adjustments failed to spark a comeback. The Italian side pressed aggressively in the final minutes, but AZ’s defense held firm.

The match was played in heavy rain, with the soggy conditions adding to the challenge for both teams. Roma’s Mats Hummels, who had emphasized the importance of winning away games pre-match, expressed frustration with the result. “We need to do better if we want to achieve our goals,” he said.

Roma now faces a critical week, with their Europa League fate hanging in the balance. A win against Frankfurt at the Stadio Olimpico is essential to avoid the playoff route, which would add two more games to their already congested schedule.