Match report
Full-time: Roma 3-0 Barcelona (Agg: 4-4 - Roma win on away goals)
Roma have their Romatada! And mamma mia, how they deserved it! They overwhelmed Barcelona from start to finish and had the Catalans trying to hang on from the opening stages. But Messi & Co couldn’t manage it. What a performance by the hosts. Roma are in wonderland!
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90+3 min: Dzeko, who has been superb all night, wins a freekick deep in Barcelona territory. The crowd acclaim him as if he’s netted a hat-trick.
90+2 min: Chaos at the back for Roma! becker rushes out of his box to intercept a ball over the top after th ref waved play on despite mass Roma appeals for offside. The ball breaks to Dembele, who lifts it over the stranded keeper from 30 yards .... and it drops just over the bar!
90 min: Barcelona have at least four minutes to find the goal that would save their hides and break Roman hearts.
89 min: Roma are living on the edge now. Barcelona are applying serious pressure at last. Messi skedaddles down the right and cuts back on to his left foot. He spots Suarez on the fr side of the box and pings the ball over to him. Suarez chops back and tries to curl a shot into the far corner, but Jesus is Roma’s saviour with a strong block.
88 min: Alba flips a lovely pass to Messi, who flashes a low ball across the face of goal. Manolas is again in the way: he’s not about to let anyone deny him his status as match-winner!
87 min: Barcelona launch a couple of long balls into the Roma box. When tikki-taka fails, there’s always hoofery.
86 min: Dembele’s first involvement is a low cross from the right that Manolas turns behind for a corner. It’s humped into the box. Roma struggle to clear. it bobbles around the box. Messi pounces on it and forces his way past two defenders and to within six yards of goal ... but he never quite has the ball under control, and Becker is able to rush out and intercept!
Barcelona substitutions: Dembélé and Alcaer on, Busquets and Semedo off. Barcelona have five minutes plus stoppage time to score the goal that they have not looked like scoring at all so far.
83 min: The Stadio Olimpico erupts as Manolas rushes to the home dugout, where he is engulfed by dozens of team-mates, staff and balls boys! Scenes!
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GOAL! Roma 3-0 Barcelona (agg: 4-4, Roma lead on away goals) (Manolas 83)
The greek defender sends a glancing six-yard header into the net from a corner!
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82 min: If Barcelona succeed in hanging on here, everyone will want them in the semi-final, not least Liverpool, who would demolish them.
Barcelona substitution: Gomes on, Iniesta off after exerting little influence amid the Roma whirlwind.
79 min: Roma launch another counter-attack. Florenzi chops back on to his left foot and flights a dinky ball from the right beyond the far post. El Sharaawy stretches out a leg and turns it towards goal from three yards. Ter Stegen makes a superb reflex save to bat it away! A gasp goes around the ground!
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78 min: Barcelona have summoned some gumption at last and are zipping the ball around in a way that is irritating Roma, who just want to get it back so that they can tear forward anew.
Roma substitution: El Shaarawy on, Nainggolan off.
75 min: Ter Stegen kicks the ball downfield. Suarez and Jesus challenge for it. The defender’s arm brushes Suarez, who takes that as a cue to flop the grass and appeal for medical and referee intervention. The ref isn’t buying his act but Barça do, at least, get a breather.
74 min: Messi has a pop from the edge of the area. He gets good power on it despite minimal backlift. but Becker clasps it to his chest.
Roma substitution: Under on, Schick off, no doubt knackered after a sterling performance. Just before that change took place, Suarez was booked for wasting time.
71 min: Roma are channeling the spirit of the Metz team of 1984. I wonder, if Roma complete the job, which player will ask Messi where his ham is? (Read this to get that)
69 min: So close! De Rossi gets his head to a cross from the left ... but nods inches wide from six yards!
68 min: A Roma player lofts a hopeful ball into the box. Nainggolan gets to it first and, while leaning back, tries to sidefoot a volley into the net from 12 yards. It’s a decent effort but straight at the keeper. “If, and that is a huge if, Roma could pull off the win, can we call it ‘Romantada’?” quips RS Naveen. You sure can. And you might well get the chance to use it. I’d make Roma favourites at this point.
66 min: Barcelona have a freekick near half-way. They try to run down the clock ...
63 min: Messi pulls down Kolarov and is booked. That tells you all you need to know about how things are going.
62 min: The other three semi-finalists will be hoping Barcelona hang on here. Because, despite the scoreline, the evidence of the tie so far is that Roma would be more formidable opponents.
59 min: The atmosphere in the Stadio Olimpico is absolutely intoxicating: the locals sense their team is on the verge of a historic comeback. And their players continue to bully Barça all over the pitch!
GOAL! Roma 2-0 Barcelona (Agg: 3-4) (De Rossi pen 58)
De Rossi, who scored an own goal in the first leg, places a fine spotkick into the corner. One more goal and Roma will go through (provided they don’t concede). Barça are clinging on!
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PENALTY TO ROMA!
Dzeko - brilliant all night - was pulled down by Pique after outmuscling the defender. The ref initially didn’t give it but, perhaps after advice from an assistant, eventually points to the spot. It’s the correct decision.
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56 min: Roma’s pressing pays off again! Strootman wins the ball in midfield and quickly fees Schick, who hurls himself to the ground.
55 min: Semedo runs into Kolarov as the pair chases a pass down the left wing. The ref gives Barcelona a freekick. A lucky break for the Catalans, and a chance for some respite.
52 min: Rakitic fees a useful pass into the right-hand channel to relieve the pressure Sergi Roberto chases after it. But he’s eased out of the way by Manolas, who quickly gets another counter-attacking going. Barcelona are out of their depth in terms of physicality.
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51min: Furious pressing by Roma: they’ve got that head of steam up again. Barcelona can’t get out of their half!
49 min: Dzeko spanks an excellent pass to Florenzi wide on the right. The winger delivers a testing cross. Ter Stegen watches it floated over him. But no Roma player can reach it at the far post.
47 min: It’s been a good start to the second half by Barcelona. They haven’t threatened but they’re kept the ball pretty well, denying Roma any chance to work up another head of steam.
46 min: The teams are ready to go again, with the same players as in the first half. But will Barça have found extra energy? If not, they could be toppled.
Half-time: Roma 1-0 Barcelona
That was a very good half from Roma. Their only regret will be that they did not score more. But they have Barcelona rattled and the comeback is still a real possibility.
45 min: Jesus booked for clumping into Messi from behind.
45 min: Rakitic tries to release Messi with a neat ball from deep. but Manolas read it and gets to the ball before the Argentinian marvel.
43 min: Dzeko, who is having a splendid game, galumphs down the left to retrieve a breaking ball. He holds up well before laying it back to a team-mate.
41 min: The French ref gives Fazio an angry lecture about the importance of retreating 10 yards when instructed to do so. Fazio nods as if promising to obey from now on. Then Messi steps up ... and curls the freekick several yards over. That was farther away than the first one.
38 min: Fazio misjudges a bouncing ball at the edge of the area. Suarez leans into him and goes down. Freekick to Barcelona just outside the D, nearly dead centre. Take 2 for Messi ...
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35 min: Florenzi floats a cross to the back post. Dzeko, after adjusting his run, aims a looping header towards goals. Ter Stegen tip it over for a corner. From the setpiece Kolarov heads high over the bar.
33 min: Roma continue to surround the Barça box. The crowd urge the on: the force in these ones is strong.
32 min: Nainggolan leads another burst into the Barça box. It’s mayhem in there! The ball breaks at speed to Schick, who can’t quite get it under enough control to take a clean shot from 10 yards - otherwise, Roma could have had a second goal. Barça are hanging on!
30 min: Fazio curls in a cross from the right. Somehow Schick is completely free eight yards out! He gets a powerful header to it ... but guides it wide! That was a mighty let-off for Barça.
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28 min: Barcelona are trying to take the sting out of this game with possession play but Roma’s aggression is relentless. The hosts are continually dispossessing the visitors.
26 min: Dzeko tries to lash a ball across the face of goal but it’s deflected to Kolaraov, who attempts a shot from a tight angle. That, too, is deflected, giving Roma a corner. The corner is cleared.
24 min: De Rossi and Rakitic briefly square up to each other after the Croat takes exception to some jostling by the Italian. Moments later Strootman rolls beautifully past Busquests and Iniesta before being fouled by the latter - the Dutchman will be uploading that clip to YouTube later, no doubt.
22 min: Alex Ferguson is in the crowd at the Stadio Olimpico. Couldn’t bring himself to watch today’s big match in Manchester?
20 min: Sustained pressure by Roma. They’re surrounding the Barça box and mixing up their approach nicely, sometimes lofting the ball in for the head of Dezko, sometimes trying a more intricate pass. But Barça held off their latest flurry well.
19 min: Barça stroke the ball around in their own half. Fazio is having none of it and dashes in to try to throw a spanner in their works. But he’s a bit to cavalier with his chucking. Freekick to Barça.
17 min: Nainggolan is teed up for a volley from 25 yards by Dzeko. But he shanks it many yards wide.
16 min: Schick robs Iniesta in midfield - Roma’s pressing is discombobulating the visitors. The Czech then feeds Dzeko, who tries to make space for a shot at the edge of the area but is crowded out.
14 min: Kolarov curls in a vicious corner. Schick gets a glancing header to it at the near post, but sends his effort over.
13 min: Umtiti thinks he has time at the edge of his own area. Dzeko shows him he’s wrong, charging in from the blind side and nicking the ball off him. Barcelona scramble and concede a corner.
12 min: Nainggolan digs out a decent cross from the left. But Pique heads it clear at the near post.
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10 min: Messi curls his shot over the wall ... and over the bar. The crowd cheer as if the home team have scored again!
9 min: Jesus concedes a foul in a dangerous position. The freekick is a couple of yards outside the D. And Messi is standing over it ...
GOAL! Roma 1-0 Barcelona (agg: 2-4) (Dzeko 6)
Dzeko chases a dink over the top of the BArcelona defence and gets to it before Umtiti. As the keeper rushes out to meet him, he pokes it into the net from eight yards! The crowd go wild! The comeback dream has got a little more real!
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5 min: Kolarav rolls a pass on the left-hand side of the Barcelona box to Dzeko, who is shouldered off it by Semedo. The crowd howl for a penalty but the referee doesn’t bow to the pressure.
4 min: Barcelona are in charge so far. And they nearly open the scoring, too, by working the ball to Sergi Roberto on the right-hand side of the box. But he shot straight at Becker.
2 min: Roma are playing with a back three, the first time all season they have used the formation. The trio are Manolas, Fazio and Jesus. Got to admire a manager who trials a new adventurous defence scheme against Messi and Suarez ...
1 min: We have go! Barcelona kick off, and Roma’s salvage mission is under way ...
At Roma, too, the Champions League anthem is booed. When it ends there is a tremendous cheer and a loud bang from a fire cracker. Then the singing resumes.
Here comes the teams, entering a packed arena to a melodious din.
@Paul_Doyle not even in Naria would FCB implode like PSG the worst case of game management I’ve seen. FCB at full strength Roma would’ve 2 call on all the gods the 300, Frodo & his crew, Tinkerbell, an army of ninjas & Bagpuss 2 go through & I think they’re all watching MC v LFC
— John McEnerney (@MackerOnTheMed) April 10, 2018
Teams
Roma: Becker; Jesus, Fazio, Manolas; Kolarov, Strootman, De Rossi, Nainggolan, Florenzi; Schick, Dzeko
Subs: Skorupski, Pellegrini, Under, Gonalons, Peres, Gerson, El Shaarawy
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Semedo, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Sergi Roberto, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez
Subs: Cillessen, D Duarez, Dembélé, Paulinho, Alacer, Gomes, Vermaelen
Referee: C Turpin (France)
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to Narnia. Only in this land of make-believe can Roma possibly get the huge victory they require today to oust Barcelona and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. But hold on, that’s not true at all! For Roma do not need to look as far as CS Lewis for inspiration: they need only follow the example of Barcelona themselves. Just last season, remember, Barça produced an even more improbable comeback to get everyone laughing at Paris Saint-Germain. A performance like that from Roma and the referee would see Roma through today. In fact, a performance like the one that Roma produced when tonking Chelsea 3-0 in October would also do the job. It could happen!
Roma should be fresh, at least. They rested their entire team for their Serie A match at the weekend, accepting a 2-0 defeat by Fiorentina to keep their muscles and minds strong for today’s challenge. That could be just as well in the unlikely event of Barcelona going into the game with the attitude they showed in another of their famous European drubbings, when they were battered 3-0 by Aston Villa amid an unforgettable donnybrook back in the day.
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