AS Roma VS FC Barcelona prediction UEFA Champions League

Having reached the quarter-finals in the Champions League is already a good success for AS Roma. First in the club's history, the Italians came in the premier class as in the second round. When the competition was still Europe Cup of Champions, the Roma pushed to the finals, which was lost on penalties against Liverpool FC. Even surviving the group stage was a surprise for many fans and experts, after all, Chelsea London and Atlético Madrid had brought two internationally experienced teams into the group. Despite these tough opponents, AS Roma even prevailed as group winners and won in the second round against the Ukrainians Shakhtar Donetsk. The 1: 4 first-leg defeat to Barcelona was initiated by a series of unlucky own goals. Only Daniele De Rossi did not give his goalie Allison a chance over 16 meters before the 55th-minute ball fell on center-back Kostas Manolas, who deflected the ball home. In the league, the Giallorossi are currently in fourth place with 60 points after 31 games and would qualify again for the Champions League. However, this is in great danger, because with Inter Milan lurking a team with just one point behind on mistakes. One allowed the Romans last weekend against the Fiorentina. Roma dominated the game over a long distance, but the goal simply did not succeed. On the other hand, the guests shone with effectiveness and were able to score only two chances to score a flattering 2-0 victory. Coach Eusebio Di Francesco proved to be self-critical after the bankruptcy: "If you win so many chances, but then get two goals from three shots, you can only blame yourself, because we have not exploited the opportunities."

 

Barcelona set a La Liga record last weekend. With 38 games in a row without defeat, the Catalans equaled with Real Sociedad San Sebastian and can fix the only record in the next game. Even in the current Champions League season Barca is still without a single defeat. While the home games could all clearly be won with at least two goals difference or even higher, it managed the FC Barcelona away only to a victory in three draws. Barca need more than a draw in the second leg against the Roma but not because with the 4: 1, an almost perfect starting position was created. On the way to the quarter-finals, the Catalans prevailed in the group stage against Juventus Turin, Sporting Lisbon and Olympiacos Piraeus and shut down in the second round Chelsea London. In the championship looks after 31 rounds everything after the 25th title in La Liga. With seven games remaining, Atlético Madrid are now eleven points clearer, as the Rojiblancos scored only one point in Madrid's city derby, while Barcelona defeated Camp Legé in a compulsory duel against CD Leganes and won 3: 1. Outstanding man in this game was once again the little Argentinean Lionel Messi. With three goals he scored all the goals of the Catalans and continued to expand his lead in the scoresheet and now holds at 29 goals. Gerard Pique summed up the game after the final whistle: "We had a great first half and we lost some ground in the second half."

 

After all, in the last three encounters, Barca were unbeaten against Roma and two of them were big wins (6-1 and 4-1). Therefore, there is no reason that the students of coach Ernesto Valverde to drop a win in the second battle.