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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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
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!
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
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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!