Able to go into the game with the confidence given by their two-goal first leg advantage, it was Edin Dzeko who once again broke the deadlock - as he slid home midway through the first half, after Stephan El Shaarawy's curling effort had hit the post.
If that strike did not manifestly change Braga's task - the Portuguese side still needed to score three goals to guarantee their progression - then that moment came midway through the second half, as Carles Perez dispatched Lorenzo Pellegrini's cross brilliantly to effectively see the Giallorossi through.
A late own goal from Bryan Cristante only ensured Braga did not exit the competition without managing a goal in the knockout stages - as Borja Mayoral then finished off Leonardo Spinazzola's perfectly-placed cross to complete the scoring.
With a 5-1 aggregate win the Giallorossi thus breezed into the draw for the last-16, which takes place on Friday.
Paulo Fonseca's side are back in action on Sunday, as they host AC Milan in another important Serie A game.
- Match stats:
ROMA (4-3-2-1): Pau Lopez; Karsdorp, Cristante, Mancini, Peres; Villar (Pellegrini), Veretout (Spinazzola), Diawara; Pedro (Mkhitaryan), El Shaarawy (Perez); Dzeko (Mayoral) ‘
BRAGA (4-3-3): Tiago; Ze Carlos, Vitor Tormena, Rolando, Nuno Sequeira (Borja); Piazon (Fransergio), Novais, Gaitan (R. Horta); Galeno (Infande), Sporar (Ruiz), Horta.
SCORERS: Dzeko (23'), Perez (74'), Mayoral (90'); Cristante o.g. (88')
- Match report by asroma.com
|