BARCELONA GET ROMA THERAPY
ROMA outscored Barcelona – but finished on the wrong end of a thumping.
Two own goals from the Italians put Barca in the driving seat and now all four Champions League quarter-finals look almost done and dusted even before the second legs.
Daniele de Rossi and Konstantinos Manolas put through their own goal either side of halftime to make Barca heavy favourites for another last-four place. And there would be few bookies betting against Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Liverpool joining them.
Luis Suarez (below), who hadn’t scored in the Champions League in more than a year, had the ball in the net for Barca from an Andres Iniesta pass early on only for an offside flag to deny him. Roma’s former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko claimed a penalty after 10 minutes when he was charged in the back by Nelson Semedo but his appeals were ignored.
The Barca breakthrough finally arrived seven minutes from the break thanks to a stroke of luck.
Iniesta played in Lionel Messi, who was about to pull the trigger when De Rossi stretched to get there first, only to give his own keeper no chance.
Ten minutes into the second half, Barca’s lead was doubled by another own goal. Samuel Umtiti appeared certain to tap in from three yards only for the ball to run between his legs and hit Manolas, who was lying on the ground. The ball rebounded off a post and Umtiti should have scored but the ball ran past him and, incredibly, hit Manolas again and bounced over the line.
Four minutes later, Gerard Pique made it 3-0, tapping home a rebound from an Alisson save.
Roma grabbed a lifeline 10 minutes from time when Dzeko slid home from close range to give them an away goal. But Suarez took the initiative right back with a neat finish from 10 yards, three minutes from time.