Roma face up to Barcelona challenge

AS Roma have it all to do in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against FC Barcelona having been beaten 4-1 in Spain.

• Own goals from Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas were added to by Gerard Piqué at the Camp Nou on 4 April. Although Edin Džeko briefly raised Roma spirits, a late fourth for Luis Suárez gave Barcelona a comfortable cushion in the tie.

• Roma 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, also featured their sole aggregate win at this stage.

• 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.

• The Italian club have now lost two of their five fixtures against Barcelona – a 6-1 reverse at the Camp Nou the last time the teams crossed paths two seasons ago and this first leg.

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 was cancelled out by a spectacular Alessandro Florenzi goal ten minutes later to earn Roma a point.

• The line-ups at the Stadio Olimpico on 16 September 2015 were:
Roma: Szczęsny (De Sanctis 50), Florenzi (Torosidis 85), Manolas, Rüdiger, Digne, Nainggolan, De Rossi, Keita, Iago Falqué (Iturbe 81), Salah, Džeko.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Piqué, Mathieu, Alba, Busquets, Rakitić (Rafinha 61; Mascherano 65), Iniesta, Messi, Suárez, Neymar.

• 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 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.

• 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.

• The teams in Rome on 26 February 2002 were:
Roma: Antonioli, Cafu, Panucci, Samuel, Zebina, Lima, Emerson, Candela, Totti (Cassano 87), Delvecchio (Montella 46), Batistuta (Tommasi 72).
Barcelona: Reina, Puyol, Christanval, De Boer, Sergi (Xavi 78), Cocu, Motta (Overmars 65), Luis Enrique (Rochemback 82), Gerard, Rivaldo, Kluivert.

Match background

Edin Džeko scores Roma's goal at the Camp Nou©Getty Images

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 four 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 overall record against Spanish clubs is W10 D5 L16; at home it reads W6 D2 L7. They are without a win in four home fixtures with Liga sides at the Stadio Olimpico, since a 2-1 scalp of Real Madrid in the 2007/08 round of 16; Florenzi's 2015 goal against Barcelona is the only time they found the net in those four matches.

• That win at Villarreal last season is Roma's only success in their last nine games against Spanish sides, home and away (D2 L6); 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. 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) still mean they have now won only five of their last 24 games in the competition (D8 L11), although they have triumphed in four of their last eight.

• Despite the defeats of Chelsea, Qarabağ and Shakhtar this season, Roma have won just four of their last 11 home matches in the UEFA Champions League – qualifying included – losing four.

• Roma overturned an away first-leg defeat in the round of 16, losing 2-1 at FC Shakhtar Donetsk but progressing on away goals after a 1-0 victory at home. That gave them the aggregate record W7 L14 when they lost the first leg away, and ended a run of six straight defeats in such ties.

• A two-goal margin is the biggest away first-leg deficit the Italian club have overturned at home; against Dundee United FC in the 1983/84 European Cup semi-finals (0-2 away, 3-0 home) and FK Partizan in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup second round (2-4 away, 2-0 home).

• Roma's record in four UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W1 L3:
6-7 v Arsenal FC, 2008/09 UEFA Champions League round of 16
3-4 v Real Zaragoza, 1986/87 European Cup Winners' Cup first round
3-4 v Liverpool FC, 1983/84 European Champion Clubs' Cup final
4-2 v IFK Norrköping, 1982/83 UEFA Cup second round

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 including a 3-0 home win on matchday one.

• This season the Spanish side picked up five points on their travels in finishing top of Group D, winning 1-0 at Sporting Clube de Portugal on matchday two before 0-0 draws at both Olympiacos and Juventus on matchday five. They drew 1-1 at Chelsea FC in the round of 16 first leg, winning the return 3-0. They have therefore conceded only one away goal in this season's competition.

• Barcelona's record away to Serie A clubs is W6 D10 L6. They are without a win in their last six trips (D4 L2).

• Barcelona have won five of their last 15 away matches in the competition, drawing five and losing five. They have lost three of their last eight away games in the UEFA Champions League, including the 4-0 defeat at Paris in last season's round of 16 first leg and the ultimately crucial 3-0 quarter-final first-leg loss at Juve.

• The defeat at Juventus in last season's quarter-final first leg is Barcelona's only reverse in their last 11 meetings with Serie A sides, home and away (W6 D4).

• Barcelona have won 38 of the 41 UEFA competition ties in which they won the first leg at home, although they lost the most recent, against Club Atlético de Madrid in the 2015/16 quarter-finals (2-1 home, 0-2 away). The other two defeats came against English clubs: in the 1983/84 European Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final against Manchester United FC (2-0 home, 0-3 away) and in the 1982 UEFA Super Cup against Aston Villa FC (1-0 home, 0-3 away).

• Barcelona's shoot-out record in UEFA competition is W5 L1:
5-4 v KKS Lech Poznań, 1988/89 European Cup Winners' Cup second round
0-2 v FC Steaua Bucureşti, 1985/86 European Cup final
5-4 v IFK Göteborg, 1985/86 European Cup semi-final
4-1 v RSC Anderlecht, 1978/79 European Cup Winners' Cup second round
3-1 v Ipswich Town FC, 1977/78 UEFA Cup third round
5-4 v AZ Alkmaar, 1977/78 UEFA Cup second round

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

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

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

• The first-leg loss at Barcelona ended Roma's five-match unbeaten run in all competitions (W4 D1). They suffered another defeat on Saturday, going down 2-0 at home to ACF Fiorentina.

• The Giallorossi have won three of their last five home matches, losing the other two, and before that run had failed to win in four games at the Stadio Olimpico (D1 L3) Overall at home this season Roma's home record is W12 D2 L7.

• Eusebio Di Francesco's side have scored three or more goals six times at home so far this season.

• Roma have kept clean sheets in two of their last three home matches, having not managed one in the previous six. They have recorded nine clean sheets in 21 home fixtures in 2017/18, including in all four UEFA Champions League outings.

• Eight of the 26 Serie A goals Roma have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes.

• 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.

• 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.

• Radja Nainggolan had been out since suffering a thigh injury against Bologna FC on 31 March but returned at the weekend. Cengiz Ünder missed that Bologna game, also with a thigh problem, and has not featured since.

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

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

• Barcelona are the only team still unbeaten in this season's Liga (W24 D7); they won 3-1 at home to CD Leganés on Saturday, Lionel Messi scoring all their goals with his third league hat-trick of the season.

• Messi had scored in eight consecutive Barcelona games before drawing a blank in the first leg, and now has 12 goals in his last ten matches. He got his 600th career goal for club and country against Atlético Madrid on 4 March.

• Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 38 Liga games (W31 D7), equalling the all-time record set by Real Sociedad de Fútbol between 1979 and 1980 (W21 D17).

• Barcelona have won only one of their last four away games, drawing the other three.

• Since losing 2-0 at Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup on 16 August, Barcelona's away record is W14 D9 L1. They have scored in all but four of their 25 away games this season, drawing 0-0 at Juventus and Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League group stage and losing at Madrid and RCD Espanyol (0-1) in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg on 17 January, and have kept 14 clean sheets.

• Only five of Barcelona's 79 goals in this season's Liga have come in the first 15 minutes.

• Luis Suárez has eight goals in his last 12 matches for club and country. His first-leg goal against Roma was his first in the UEFA Champions League since 8 March 2017; his last 11 goals in the competition have come at the Camp Nou.

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

• The Espanyol loss was Ernesto Valverde side's first defeat in all competitions since the Spanish Super Cup second-leg loss at Real Madrid. The Blaugrana's record since that Madrid loss is W36 D11 L1.

• Sergio Busquets (out since 14 March, metatarsal) and Nélson Semedo (out since 24 February, hamstring) returned from injury in the first leg, although Busquets missed the Leganés match.

• Barça will play Sevilla FC 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.