Barcelona gear up for Roma opener

FC Barcelona are in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for a record 11th season in a row, and last-eight opponents AS Roma are familiar foes – although the Italian side are at this stage for the first time in a decade.

• Barça went on to the semi-finals for six years running between 2008 and 2013, although their last two campaigns – and three of the last four – have ended at this stage.

• Roma, meanwhile, have lost both their previous UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, the most recent of which came a decade ago. The Giallorossi's only other last-eight tie, in 1983/84, featured their sole aggregate win at this stage.

• The Italian club have a respectable record against Barcelona, losing only one of their four fixtures – although that was a 6-1 reverse at the Camp Nou the last time the teams crossed paths two seasons ago.

Previous meetings
• The teams were last paired together in the 2015/16 group stage, when they drew 1-1 in Italy. Luis Suárez's 21st-minute opener at the Stadio Olimpico was cancelled out by a spectacular Alessandro Florenzi goal ten minutes later to earn Roma a point.

• Barcelona were comfortable winners in the reverse fixture in Spain, Suárez and Lionel Messi each scoring twice with Gerard Piqué and Adriano also on target in a 6-1 home success. Edin Džeko, who missed a late penalty, got a consolation for Roma in added time.

• The teams at the Camp Nou on 24 November 2015 were:
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Alves, Piqué (Bartra 56), Vermaelen, Alba, Busquets (Samper 46), Rakitić, Sergi Roberto (Adriano 64), Messi, Neymar, Suárez.
Roma: Szczęsny, Maicon, Manolas, Rüdiger, Digne, Keita, Falqué, Nainggolan (Iturbe 46), Pjanić (Salih Uçan 75), Florenzi (Vainqueur 58), Džeko.

• The clubs' other meetings came in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League second group stage, starting with a 1-1 draw at the Camp Nou, where Patrick Kluivert levelled a Christian Panucci goal.

• The line-ups in Barcelona on 20 February 2002 were:
Barcelona: Reina, Puyol, Christanval, F De Boer, Sergi (Xavi 74), Cocu, Motta (Rochembak 68), Luis Enrique, Saviola (Overmars 57), Rivaldo, Kluivert.
Roma: Antonioli, Cafu, Panucci, Samuel, Zebina, Lima (Guigou 74), Tommasi, Emerson, Candela, Totti (Delvecchio 81), Batistuta.

• Roma won the return 3-0 with Emerson, Vincenzo Montella and Damiano Tomassi scoring. Barcelona still won the group, with Roma eliminated in third place.

Match background

Barcelona
• Barcelona's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W14 L5, with three of those defeats coming in the past four ties:
2016/17 Juventus L 0-3 (0-3 a, 0-0 h)
2015/16 Club Atlético de Madrid L 2-3 (2-1 h, 0-2 a)
2014/15 Paris Saint-Germain W 5-1 (3-1 a, 2-0 h)
2013/14 Club Atlético de Madrid  L 1-2 (1-1 h, 0-1 a)
2012/13 Paris Saint-Germain W 3-3, away goals (2-2 a, 1-1 h)
2011/12 AC Milan W 3-1 (0-0 a, 3-1 h)
2010/11 FC Shakhtar Donetsk W 6-1 (5-1 h, 1-0 a)
2009/10 Arsenal FC W 6-3 (2-2 a, 4-1 h)
2008/09 FC Bayern München W 5-1 (4-0 h, 1-1 a)
2007/08 FC Schalke 04 W 2-0 (1-0 a, 1-0 h)
2005/06 SL Benfica W 2-0 (0-0 a, 2-0 h)
2002/03 Juventus L 2-3 (1-1 a, 1-2 h aet)
2001/02 Panathinaikos FC W 3-2 (0-1 a, 3-1 h)
1999/00 Chelsea FC W 6-4 (1-3 a, 5-1 h aet)
1994/95 Paris Saint-Germain L 2-3 (1-1 h, 1-2 a)
1985/86 Juventus W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)
1974/75 Åtvidabergs FF W 5-0 (2-0 h, 3-0 a)
1960/61 DSO Spartak Hradec Králové W 5-1 (4-0 h, 1-1 a)
1959/60 Wolverhampton Wanderers FC W 9-2 (4-0 h, 5-2 a)

• The Spanish club's interest in last season's competition was ended by Italian opposition at this stage, Juventus winning 3-0 in the home first leg and overall.

• Barcelona's record in two-legged ties against Italian sides is W8 L4.

• The Blaugrana have already got the better of Italian opposition in this season's competition, taking four points off Juventus in the group stage thanks to a 3-0 home win and a goalless draw in Italy.

• Barcelona's record at home to Serie A clubs is W15 D6 L2. They are unbeaten in their last 12 home fixtures against Italian visitors, winning nine, since losing 2-1 to Juve in the 2002/03 quarter-final second leg.

• The defeat at Juventus in last season's quarter-final first leg is Barcelona's only reverse in their last ten meetings with Serie A sides, home and away (W5 D4).

• The Spanish giants have won all four home games in this season's competition, scoring eight goals and conceding only one in beating Juventus (3-0), Olympiacos FC (3-1) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (2-0) in the group stage. In the round of 16, Chelsea were beaten 3-0 in the home second leg to complete a 4-1 aggregate success.

• Barcelona are unbeaten in 25 UEFA Champions League home matches, a run that started in September 2013 (W23 D2). The two draws, against Atlético and Juventus, came in quarter-final aggregate defeats.

• Barcelona have won eight of their last ten home knockout matches (D2), since a 0-3 home reverse against Bayern in the 2012/13 semi-final second leg.

Roma
• Roma's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W1 L2:
2007/08 Manchester United FC L 0-3 (0-2 h, 0-1 a)
2006/07 Manchester United FC L 3-8 (2-1 h, 1-7 a)
1983/84 Berliner FC Dynamo W 4-2 (3-0 h, 1-2 a)

• The Italian club have lost their last three matches in the quarter-finals.

• Roma's record in two-legged ties against Spanish clubs is W3 L4. Their most recent tie came against Villarreal CF in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32, when a 4-0 away first-leg success set up a 4-1 aggregate victory.

• Eusebio Di Francesco's side have already faced Spanish opposition in this season's UEFA Champions League, recording a 0-0 home draw and a 2-0 away defeat against Atlético Madrid in the group stage. 

• Roma's away record against Spanish rivals is now W4 D3 L8.

• That win at Villarreal last season is Roma's only success in their last eight games against Spanish sides, home and away (D2 L5); they had won their previous three matches before that run.

• The 2-1 victory at Qarabağ FK on matchday two was Roma's first win in eight UEFA Champions League matches, home and away and including qualifying, since a 3-2 home victory over Bayer 04 Leverkusen on 4 November 2015. Despite matchday four's 3-0 scalp of Chelsea FC, the 1-0 home win against Qarabağ in their last group fixture and the round of 16 second-leg defeat of FC Shakhtar Donetsk by the same scoreline (2-2 aggregate, Roma win on away goal), they have won only five of their last 23 games in the competition (D8 L10), although they have triumphed in four of their last seven.

Coach and player links
• Thomas Vermaelen spent 2016/17 on loan at Roma from Barcelona, making nine Serie A appearances.

• Lucas Digne was on loan at Roma from Paris in 2015/16. He made 33 Serie A appearances, scoring three times.

• Federico Fazio played 153 Liga games for Sevilla FC in two spells between 2007 and 2016, scoring 12 goals. His record against Barcelona was W1 D2 L4.

• Diego Perotti played 117 Liga games for Sevilla between 2008 and 2014. He faced Barça six times (W2 D1 L3).

• Džeko was in the Manchester City team eliminated by Barcelona at the last-16 stage in 2013/14 and 2014/15.

• Italy's Daniele De Rossi scored a penalty equaliser against a Spain side featuring Gerard Piqué, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta in a 1-1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying draw in October 2016.

• All five – plus Italy's Florenzi – also played when the Azzurri beat Spain 2-0 in the UEFA EURO 2016 round of 16.

• Alba scored and Busquets, Piqué and Iniesta also played in Spain's 4-0 victory over De Rossi's Italy in the UEFA EURO 2012 final. De Rossi missed a penalty as Italy lost a shoot-out to Spain in the UEFA EURO 2008 quarter-finals.

• De Rossi (Italy), Iniesta, Piqué and Busquets (Spain) all scored from the spot as Spain prevailed 7-6 on penalties after a goalless draw in the semi-final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup.

• Uruguay's Luis Suárez scored past Brazil goalkeeper Alisson in a 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in March 2016.

• Džeko and Piqué both scored as Spain defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-2 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. Busquets and Iniesta also played for Spain.

• Džeko also found the net against a Belgium side featuring Vermaelen in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying. Belgium prevailed 3-1.

• International team-mates:
Thomas Vermaelen & Radja Nainggolan (Belgium)
Paulinho & Alisson (Brazil)
Lionel Messi & Federico Fazio, Diego Perotti (Argentina)
Jasper Cillessen & Rick Karsdorp, Kevin Strootman (Netherlands)

• Have played together:
Samuel Umtiti & Maxime Gonalons (Olympique Lyonnais 2012–16)
Paulinho & Federico Fazio (Tottenham Hotspur FC 2014/15)
Diego Perotti, Federico Fazio & Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla 2011–14)

• Monchi spent 11 years as a player with Sevilla before becoming the club's sporting director in 2000. In 2017 he took a similar role with Roma.

Match facts

Barcelona
• Sergi Roberto is a booking away from a ban.

• Barcelona are the only team still unbeaten in this season's Liga (W23 D7); they drew 2-2 at Sevilla FC on Saturday, Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi scoring in the final minutes to rescue a point.

• Since losing 3-1 at home to Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on 13 August, Barcelona's home record is W20 D2. They have scored in all but one of their 23 home games this season, drawing 0-0 at home to Getafe CF on 11 February, and have managed 65 goals at the Camp Nou.

• Barcelona have scored 13 goals in their last six home games in all competitions.

• The Catalan club have kept five clean sheets in their last six matches at the Camp Nou, and 16 at home overall this season.

• Only five of Barcelona's 76 goals in this season's Liga have come in the first 15 minutes.

• Messi has scored in his last seven Barcelona games, nine goals in total, and returned as a second-half substitute on Saturday having missed Argentina's internationals with a muscle problem. He got his 600th career goal for club and country against Atlético Madrid on 4 March.

• Luis Suárez has seven goals in his last ten matches for club and country.

• Paco Alcácer got his first Liga goal since 4 November in Barcelona's 2-0 defeat of Athletic Club on 18 March.

• Espanyol beat Barcelona 1-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final on 17 January – Ernesto Valverde side's first defeat in all competitions since losing the Spanish Super Cup second leg 2-0 at Real Madrid on 16 August. The Blaugrana's record since that Madrid loss is W34 D11 L1.

• Paulinho scored in Brazil's 3-0 win over Russia on 23 March; Ivan Rakitić got the only goal as Croatia beat Mexico four days later.

• Jordi Alba, Gerard Piqué and Andrés Iniesta started for Spain as they beat Argentina 6-1 in Madrid on 27 March.

• Sergio Busquets (out since 14 March, metatarsal) and Nélson Semedo, who has a hamstring problem and has not played since 24 February, have been sidelined, although the latter was an unused substitute at the weekend.

• Marc-André ter Stegen featured in Germany's 1-1 draw against Spain on 23 March, but then returned to his club for treatment on a knee injury; he played 90 minutes on Saturday.

• Barça will play Sevilla again at the Estadio Metropolitano, home of Atlético Madrid, in the Copa del Rey final on 21 April. Barcelona have won the trophy in the last three seasons.

Roma
• Diego Perotti and Kostas Manolas will incur a ban with their next bookings.

• Before drawing 1-1 at Bologna FC on Saturday, Roma had won four in a row in all competitions; they have six victories in their last eight Serie A fixtures.

• The Giallorossi have lost only one of their last eight away games in all competitions – at Shakhtar in the round of 16 first leg – and have won four of the past six.

• Eight of the 24 Serie A goals Roma have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes.

• Bologna's goal ended Alisson's run of three successive clean sheets for Roma; he also did not concede on international duty for Brazil against Russia (3-0) and Germany (1-0).

• Edin Džeko scored twice against SSC Napoli on 3 March, taking his tally for Roma to 50 goals. The Bosnian striker is the first player to score 50 goals in the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A; he was also on target at Bologna.

• Alessandro Florenzi missed a penalty in the 1-0 home defeat against UC Sampdoria on 28 January. It was Roma's fourth penalty failure in all competitions this season after Perotti (two) and Džeko; despite Grégoire Defrel's successful spot kick against Benevento on 11 February, the Giallorossi have missed four of their last six penalties.

• Džeko missed a penalty in the Coppa Italia defeat against Torino FC on 20 December, his third consecutive failure from the spot for Roma.

• Cengiz Ünder scored his first Roma goal in the 1-0 win at AC Chievo Verona on 4 February; the 20-year-old Turkish forward now has six in his last nine appearances for the club, and scored in Turkey's 2-2 draw with Montenegro on 27 March.

• Patrick Schick scored for the Czech Republic in the 4-1 win against China on 26 March as the Czechs claimed third place at the China Cup.

• Lorenzo Pellegrini was replaced during the second half of Italy's 1-1 draw with England on 27 March after taking a knock to his right calf, and missed the Bologna game.

• Radja Nainggolan suffered a thigh injury against Bologna and was forced off after only 17 minutes; Cengiz Ünder missed that game, also with a thigh problem.

• Rick Karsdorp has been sidelined since October and has undergone an operation following his second serious knee injury of the season.