Roma Overturn 4-1 Deficit To Knock Out Barcelona

The home side nearly scored their second of the night in the 14th minute when Schick met a whipped corner from the right, but the forward’s header just dropped wide of the far post.

City required a 3-0 win just to send the game to extra-time, after their stunning loss by that same scoreline in the first leg.

Barcelona looked rattled as Roma pressed with high intensity and threw everything at them when in possession.

“It was great teamwork from the first to the last minute”. Barca didn’t look at the races in this game at all.

The Giallorossi required a comeback that had been pulled off only twice before – including, memorably, by Barcelona last season – and took just six minutes to get the ball rolling thanks to Edin Džeko’s neat control and finish. Andres Iniesta, Ivan Rakitic and Sergi Roberto were disconnected with the forwards due to the lackadaisical movement in midfield as well. Barcelona was unbeaten in their last 19 matches but AS Roma has lost their home match against Fiorentina in the recent match.

Guardiola dragged away players who were berating Lahoz as they left the field at halftime, but his fury with the official was clear, as he repeatedly pointed at his eye and then the penalty area where the incident had taken place.

The Italians made the flawless start with an early lead through Edin Dzeko who staved off the challenge from Nelson Semedo to poke past an on-rushing Marc Andre Ter Stegen. “A long pass finds Dzeko, who brings it down back to goal and gets around Pique on the half-turn, who tugs him down when there was no need so to do!”

Roma doubled their tally in the 58th minute when Dzeko was chopped down by Gerard Pique and De Rossi slotted home the spot-kick. “There are other competitions and we must try to win them because we have won nothing yet”. It’s a sad way to go out, especially after the result we had in the first leg.

In total, Dzeko has 69 goals in 131 appearances since arriving from Manchester City for a total of €15 million. However, this is when De Rossi’s experience is highly valuable.

“Just the most incredible, remarkable performance by Roma”, he told Joe on our Football Show.

“We had enough experience on the pitch to solve things, I thought”, the manager said, refuting the suggestion that his team was only trying to defend its first-leg advantage.

Roma capitalized on its aerial threat through Dzeko and Patrik Schick and its stifling defence forced Barcelona into a series of uncharacteristic misplaced passes.

“It wasn’t luck. This is what happened”, Roma coach Eusebio Di Francesco said.