Barcelona vs Roma Live Score and Commentary, UEFA Champions League 2017-18

PEEP! PEEP! PEEEEEEEEEEP! THAT THEN IS VERY MUCH THAT

BARCELONA 4 - 1 ROMA

Roma were nowhere as poor as the score suggests, but the bottomline is that the Romans have a three goal lead to overturn against Barcelona; and we all know how that usually works out

Thank you for reading, Anirudh Menon signing out

Toodle-ooo!

92' Messi dances past three challenges, has a pop... it deflects off Gonalons and almost loops into Allisson's goal. It's only a corner, as the Brazilian heaves a sigh of relief

THREE MINUTES ADDED ON, BY THE BY

91' Roma play the ball out to of the back Barca style - almost losing it twice in the process - before Strootman emerges with it in the opposing half. He immediately looks to play in Dzeko, but Pique cuts it out easily

90' OOOO! That wasn't all that far away, but Kolarov's freekick curls just over and beyond Ter Stegen's crossbar

89' OOO Defrel, who's looked good since he came on, wins a freekick off Denis Suarez... very much Kolarov territory this.

WOOF! Nelson Semedo rips through Roma's left, plays a one-two with Paulinho and smashes it at Ter Stegen. The ball parries out to Alba - who pumps it back in.. Gonalons inexplicably tries to take a touch, inside his six yard box, and that sets it up perfectly for Suarez, who absolutely thwacks it into the back of the net

87' GOOOOOOOOOAL! LUIS SUAAAAAAAREZZZZZZZZZZ

86' Sensing an opportunity Roma are moving forward rather forcefully - they are passing it around well but Strootman's attempted ball to Dzeko sees the Bosnian lose his footing again! The Dutchman then gives away a freekick for tugging back Messi before he starts on one of his slaloming runs

85' The absolutely magnificent Andres Iniesta walks off to his customary standing ovation to be replaced by Denis Suarez

84' OOO! Barca look to play in Suarez with an early ball in behind the defence, but Allisson sweeps it clear - his clearance almost allows Dzeko to break through but Pique reads the move with ease

83' The much maligned Andre Gomes is now on for Sergi Roberto

82' Iniesta brilliantly wins possession back immediately, though, and Messi strokes Barca forward - he then goes for the good ol' give it to Alba, run into the box, wrap his foot around a curler routine but he connects poorly and sends it into row F

81' Roma win a freekick from Kolarov-delivery range... it's a bit too deep, though and El Sharaawy has to do very well to win a throw in.

They play the corner short again, Perotti - oh so good all night - plays in Dzeko with a lovely ball, the Bosnian holds off Alba with contemptous ease and strokes it into the far bottom corner. Game on?

80' GOOAAAAAAAAAAAL! DZEKOOOOOOO!

79' Perotti has been sparked to life by all that... he cuts in from the left and smashes one at goal that Ter Stegen does oh, so well to save. Tremendous from bothplayers

78' OH TER STEGEN! OH TER STEGEN! The German loses the ball under some frantic high pressing from Dzeko - the ball bounces out to El Sharaawy, who swings it into Perotti - but the Argentine's shot is superbly saved by a scrambling Ter Stegen. WOOF!

77' Fazio smashes into Sergi Roberto merely by holding his ground.. that's a freekick for Barca. Di Francesco is well and truly throwing the kitchen sink at it now as he takes of poor ol' De Rossi for Gregoire Defrel, who is a striker, if you didn't know

76' Roma win another corner from that one - but Kolarov whips it straight at Ter Stegen after playing it short with Perotti

75' OWW OWWW! Perotti does well to motor down the left, he looks up to see Strootman up in support so he tees him up - and the Dutchman smacks one at goal - that bounces off Pique's leg and out for a corner.

74' The match is petering out to its logical conclusion now - El Sharaawy looks to take on Alba, but he too slips. Then as Roma look to run the ball out from the back, Iniesta dispossesses Gonalons. Aiyyo.

73' Dzeko looks to turn and run at Barca's defence, but the Bosnian slips. Ouch. That would hurt... not physically.

72' Roma might as well throw the kitchen sink eh - El Sharaawy is now on for Alessandro Florenzi

71' Suarez looks to break into the box, but Manolas matches him stride for stride and easily clears the ball away - the Greek has been excellent today; but for that unfortunate own goal

70' OOO! That Kolarov left foot, I tell you... he curls another pearler into the box and it misses Dzeko's run by mere inches

69' One loose pass and Barca are back onto their passing carousel. Rakitic, dropping deep now in the absence of Busquets has been exceptional all night... he pings a brilliant 60-yarder onto Roberto's feet - and the Catalan tees up Messi; who's shot is once again straight at Allisson

68' To be completely honest, Roma dont deserve to be 3-0 down; nor do Barca deserve to be 3-0 up... the players' body language reflects that, with the shoulders of the men in white visibly drooping

67' OOO Barca try a Beckham-Scholes, with Rakitic-Messi... but the great man smacks it into orbit.

66' To make matters worse, that master of ghosting into the box, Paulinho trots on for the still not fully fit Sergio Busquets

65' Barca are looking to kill this on the break - Messi glides into the box once again, but this time De Rossi's interception is straight at Allisson and the Brazilian goalie can clear

64' It's played short again, but Florenzi's ball into the box is easily handled.

63' And that leads to another corner as Roma play it short, Barca style...

62' Roma win a corner which Kolarov takes. His delivery causes ALL SORTS OF CONFUSION - and Umtiti somehow manages to scramble it away... but the Romans win another corner from it.

61' Roma sub as Pellegrini goes off to be replaced by Gonalons

OH MY! Barca's counter sees them run through 4 on 4, Messi attracts three of them, slips in Suarez who shimmies and sidefoots one at goal - Allisson gets to it, but can only parry it out to Pique... who has the simple task of tapping it in from two yards. Great reward for a lung-bursting run up the pitch, that

60' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! PIQUEEEEEEEEEEEE!

59' Pellegrini crosses into the far post. Perrotti cushions a header to Kolarov, who's rocket is bravely blocked by Pique, Dzeko has a go, but that's blocked too and Barca counter....

57' Barca fancy it now. Messi Messis his way to the edge of the box before teeing up Rakitic - who smacks it at goal, where Allisson is upto the challenge

OH MY! OH, MY! Barca work the short corner in a such a way that Rakitic can whip in a lovely inswinger that Umtiti gets to first... he hits the post, the ball bounces off and bounces off Manolas' knee and into the back of the net! ANOTHER OWN GOAL! OUCH!

57' GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! MANOLAS OG!

56' Iniesta does not like that proposition so he dances into the box and wins a corner from which....

55' Barca look a shade or two below what we all know they are capable of - Roma, meanwhile, are still in with a chance as long as the score remains this.

54' WOOF! Iniesta is having some game... he slips in Messi with another beautiful little ball, Messi shuffles past Fazio with a jink before smacking a right-footed straight into the belly of Allisson

53' Iniesta dances into the box, ball tied to his laces, defenders not getting close to him... before Manolas does the Manolas thing of being a big massive roadblock. The great man turns away from this Greek mountain range of a man before looking to play in Alba, but Peres takes care of the leftback

52' Barca are inviting Roma deeper and deeper into their own half, and it takes a clever foul won by Roberto to ease the pressure. Barca immediately go forward

50' Roma's high press pays dividends as Perotti and Kolarov double-team Semedo into giving the ball away... Kolarov swings another one in, and Florenzi almost squeezes it in at the near post

48' Peres sends Rakitic to fetch a pail of water before playing in Kolarov down the left. With that sweet left peg of his, the Serb sends in a lovely ball that somehow misses the heads of everyone in the box, all of them by a whisker.

48' OH MY! Jordi Alba wallops one at goal with his right foot - Allisson, though, inexplicably spills it straight to Suarez - who even more inexplicably sends it into row Z

47' Barca go pass-pass-pass as they look to kill the momentum Roma are building up...

Barcelona vs Roma Live Score and Commentary, UEFA Champions League 2017-18

Barcelona 4 - 1 Roma (De Rossi OG 38', Manolas OG 56', Pique 60', Suarez 87'; Dzeko 80')