Barcelona vs Roma: In the first leg of this UEFA Champions League quarterfinal, Barca came out victorious with a 4-1 win over the Italian side.
Barcelona will file out at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy today for the second leg against Roma looking to qualify for the semifinals for the first time since the 2014/15 season.
Own goals from Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas were added to by Gerard Piqué at the Camp Nou on April, 4. Although Edin Dzeko briefly raised Roma spirits, a late fourth for Luis Suárez gave Barcelona a comfortable cushion in the tie.
Who’s In & Who’s Out
Most importantly, we have take you through all the essentials, because Barcelona as the odds are stacked against Roma who will aim to prevent the Spanish giants from scoring before considering that Roma also need to score three.
Barcelona team news: Lucas Digne (out, injured), Philippe Coutinho (out, ineligible)
Roma team news: Rick Karsdorp (out, knee), Cengiz Ünder (doubtful, thigh), Diego Perotti (doubtful, calf)
Sergio Busquets, however is back from injury after missing the weekend match against Leganés, but Lucas Digne is still out due to physical issues. Philippe Coutinho can’t play in the Champions League this season, so he’s out as well.
Managers’ quotes
Barcelona manager – Ernesto Valverde
Ernesto Valverde, Barcelona coach: “We mustn’t think we’ve already won. We got a great result in the first leg but that’s it.
“We’ve got to play like it is 0-0 because anything can happen. We’ve got to aim to win the game and not think of anything else.
“I always think we can lose, in the same way I always think we can win. We have plenty of things in our favour. They’ve got good players, though, and we have to be ready for that.” Valverde told UEFA.com
Roma boss – Eusebio Di Francesco
Eusebio Di Francesco, Roma coach: “Remember, Barcelona have not been built overnight. This team has been built over years, not just five or six months or a few days. This is Barcelona’s main strength. I’m nobody here.
“I’m just part of this club. I convey my thoughts with conviction. I aim to put great passion into my work, with the good and the bad, and I have to try to make as few mistakes as possible.” said Di Francesco n UEFA.com
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-4-2): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Piqué, Umtiti, Alba; Dembélé, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez
Roma (4-3-3): Alisson; Peres, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov; Pellegrini, De Rossi, Nainggolan; Florenzi, Dzeko, El Shaarawy
Credit: FC Naija
