AS Roma–Barcelona
UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final, Second Leg
10.4.2018
Having already won the first leg comfortably, Barcelona head to the Italian capital in hope of continuing their current unbeaten run which stands at 19 matches in all competition. Already trailing 4-1, even that away goal they grabbed at Camp Nou looks unlikely to matter for AS Roma, with Coach Eusebio Di Francesco believing they will need an extraordinary performance if they are to progress.
“We’ll go out with our best players and we have the chance to do something unthinkable, given they’ve practically never lost,” the former Sassuolo boss told a press conference this week. “We have a duty to try until it’s all over, and we will. It’ll be a miracle, if you want, but why can’t we make it happen?”
The fixture list has been unkind to his team, something which almost certainly factored into their first leg loss. Last weekend saw them lose to an in-form Fiorentina, while immediately following the second leg Roma face their city derby with neighbours Lazio and that issue has been compounded by the injury to Radja Nainggolan.
Without the Belgian, they lack the overall quality to compete with the very best teams and sadly for Di Francesco he is not the only absentee. Right-back Rick Karsdorp and versatile attacking threat Diego Perotti have both already been ruled out, although winger Cengiz Under – who has been a vital player this term – was fit enough to be included in the squad.
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Roma are expected to line up in their favoured 4-3-3 formation, seeking to strike on the counter-attack with their pacey wide players who create chances for Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian will need to be at his very best if his side are to have any chance, while the set-piece prowess of Aleksandar Kolarov will also be a major weapon.
Of course, if Barca are at their best, they should have more than enough, particularly with such a big lead already in hand. Ernesto Valverde has injuries of his own to content with, particularly in midfield where Sergio Busquets has been dealing with a slight muscle issue and deputy Sergi Samper has already been ruled out.
Left-back Lucas Digne that will also miss this match with a problem of his own and Philippe Coutinho is cup tied, meaning that the side will almost certainly continue with the 4-4-2 system that has almost become their default formation.
Lionel Messi was remarkably kept in check in the first leg where Roma desperately tried to deny him any time and space, but he responded with a hat-trick in last weekend’s victory over Leganes. It is also worth noting that Roma have struggled at home of late, losing three of their last six matches at the Stadio Olimpico and winning only three wins of their last nine outings there.
AS Roma (4-3-3): Alisson; Bruno Peres, Manolas, Fazio, Kolarov; Strootman, De Rossi, Pellegrini; Florenzi, El Shaarawy, Dzeko
Barcelona (4-4-2): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Paulinho, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez
