Messi misery
Roma dump Barcelona out with one of the great comebacks
Roma pulled off an extraordinary comeback to knock Barcelona out of the Champions League, doing what Manchester City could not manage last night by overturning a three-goal deficit from the first leg.
Eusebio Di Francesco’s side won 3-0 to take full advantage of the goal they scored in losing the first leg 4-1 to progress on away goals.
Centre-back Kostas Manolas scored the decisive goal with a header from a corner in the 82nd minute amid a deafening atmosphere inside the Stadio Olimpico.
Di Francesco acknowledged before the match that his team needed a “miracle” to advance against a team he described as a “machine”. But he urged them to carry on believing to the end in the hope of achieving something “unprecedented”. It was not quite that but astonishing all the same. “It wasn’t luck. This is what happened,” Di Francesco said. “But this isn’t enough. We can’t be satisfied. This squad needs to aim for [the final in] Kiev. This is an extraordinary squad. Why shouldn’t we aim to get there?”
Roma got the start they needed when former City striker Edin Dzeko controlled an over-the-top pass between two defenders after six minutes and poked in his sixth goal in this season’s competition.
Then, near the hour mark, Dzeko earned a penalty that Daniele De Rossi converted to set the stage for Manolas’ late header.
Five-time European Cup winners Barcelona were chasing a treble of trophies this season, having equalled the La Liga record of 38 unbeaten games at the weekend and reaching the Copa del Rey final.
“We came here to try to win the match. But they were really, really strong,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said through a translator.
“They ran a lot of risks and we were unable to overcome their pressure. It’s painful. It’s painful for our fans.”
It is the first time that Roma have reached the last four since they lost the 1984 final to Liverpool on penalties in their own stadium – and it’s the third straight year that Barcelona have been eliminated at this stage.
Only two clubs had previously overturned at least a three-goal first-leg deficit in the Champions League – Deportivo La Coruna beat AC Milan 4-0 after losing the opening leg 4-1 in the 2004 quarter-finals and Barcelona routed Paris Saint-germain 6-1 after losing the first game 4-0 in last season’s Round of 16.
Roma captain Daniele De Rossi set up Dzeko’s goal with a straight ball and the Bosnian striker muscled off defenders to shoot past Marc-andre ter Stegen with his left foot.
Barcelona’s only real chances of the first half came from two free kicks, both of which Messi missed high.
Suarez was so frustrated at times for not receiving enough balls that he slammed both hands on the pitch on one occasion.
Then Dzeko did it again, winning the penalty after Gerard Pique grabbed his left arm and tugged the striker to the ground.
The referee didn’t immediately point to the spot but then showed a yellow to Pique and awarded the penalty.
De Rossi confidently struck the spot kick inside the right post for his first Champions League goal since October 2015.
Roma substitute Stephan El Shaarawy had a chance at Roma’s third in the 79th but Ter Stegen produced a brilliant save to deny the striker from close range.
But three minutes later, the Barcelona goalkeeper had no chance when Manolas headed inside the far post. “It is for moments like this that it is so beautiful to live for these colours,” recently retired Roma captain Francesco Totti tweeted, adding “Go Roma” in Roman dialect followed by two heart emojis in yellow and red.
For Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta, who is expected to leave in the summer, defeat was particularly bitter in what could be his final Champions League night with the club. “That is a possibility and for that reason it hurts even more,” the 33-year-old midfielder said. “It’s a very hurtful elimination.”