AS Roma 3 Barcelona 0: Barca bottle Italian job in huge Champions League shock at Stadio Olimpico

Roma pulled off one of the all-time Champions League shocks as they beat Barcelona 3-0 in Rome to reach the Champions Leaguesemi-finals on away goals.

With Barca 4-1 ahead on aggregate after a comfortable Camp Nou victory in the first leg, Roma went all-out attack from the off at Stadio Olimpico.

Roma were all over Barcelona for the first half as the Spanish giants laboured both on and off the ball, and Edin Dzeko got the ball rolling with a neat poked finish after he ghosted onto a simple high through-ball just six minutes into the tie.

Patrik Schick wasted two presentable chances and Dzeko had a header saved as Roma went into search of a second goal before half-time, but Barca held on to a two-goal advantage over the tie heading into the interval.

But the Giallorossi picked up where they left off after the break, with Daniele De Rossi - whose ridiculous own goal opened the scoring for Barca in the first leg - scoring from 12 yards out to put the hosts within one goal of reaching the semi-finals 58 minutes in.

De Rossi then passed up the chance to add his second of the night as he sent a free header wide with 21 minutes remaining.

Roma substitute Stephan El Shaarawy went close with a back-post volley which Marc Andre ter Stegen did well to paw away, but the Barca goalkeeper could do nothing as Kostas Manolas beat Nelson Semedo to a near-post corner to glance home a fine header with nine minutes left on the clock.

That goal parked scenes of wild jubilation at the Stadio Olimpico, and Roma held on to record an historic victory which sends them through to the final four with Liverpool.

via Evening Standard

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