In the 80th minute of last week’s match between AS Roma and Barcelona — the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal at Camp Nou — Edin Dzeko scored. It looked fairly inconsequential, with Barca up by three goals. The Blaugrana piled on one more afterwards, winning, 4-1. But that one away goal proved to be decisive.
AS Roma knocks Barcelona out of Champions League with amazing 3-goal comeback
Barca looked like they didn’t know they were in for a fight.
Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images
Incredibly, Roma has knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League. They completed one of the most improbable comebacks in the tournament’s history, progressing on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate draw. The Giallarossi were at their best on Tuesday night, beating Barcelona decisively at their home ground, 3-0.
Barca fell asleep on the opening goal, scored by Dzeko in the 6th minute. No one tracked his run off a long ball over the top by Daniele De Rossi, and Dzeko poked home from close range.
In the 58th minute, the Barcelona defense again failed to deal with a chipped ball that Dzeko ran onto. This time, instead of letting him score. Gerard Pique pulled him down by the arm. The referee gave a penalty, and De Rossi converted.
Roma’s winning goal came once again as the result of some terrible defending by the Blaugrana. Kostas Manolas was Roma’s hero, heading in a corner in the 82nd minute after a near post run that no one in a Barca shirt spotted.
The final eight minutes plus stoppage time were chaotic, but Roma’s defense held firm. Barcelona’s best chance was a long-range chip from Ousmane Dembele after he spotted Roma goalkeeper Alisson off his line, but the ball sailed over the crossbar.
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