Barcelona continues to roll through the Champions League and it should come as no surprise that Lionel Messi has been the dominant force for the Spanish giants. The next team to try and contain Messi will be Roma, who will head to Barcelona for the first leg of their quarterfinal tie on April 4th.
What To Know About Roma
A 52nd -minute goal from Edin Dzeko was enough to give Roma a 1-0 win at home over Shakhtar Donetsk. Even though they lost 2-1 on the road in the first leg, Gengiz Under’s goal in that game was the difference as Roma goes through to the quarterfinal on that away goal. Dzeko now has four goals to lead the way for Roma, while Diego Perotti and Stephen El Shaarawy are next with two goals apiece. Roma aren’t a team that is going to win fancy, especially coming up against Barcelona. Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman can dominate a game in midfield, while Dzeko and Perotti don’t need many chances to find the back of the next. Their defense can blow hot and cold, however, and they have had some poor performances through the Champions League. They’ll need to be much better in this tie.
What To Know About Barcelona
Messi scored twice and set up Ousmane Dembele in a 3-0 win at home over Chelsea, winning the tie by a score of 4-1 over two legs. Messi scored in the first leg to get his first goal in nine games against Chelsea, and then he took over the second leg right from the beginning as he scored in the third minute, and it was all downhill from there for Chelsea. Luis Suarez has yet to find the back of the net in the Champions League, but it seems to be only a matter of time and he is continuing to do the little things like holding the ball up and making runs to create space for Messi. Barcelona’s midfield and defense is also very good, although Sergio Busquets had an injury scare against Chelsea, so that is something that needs to be watched.
Outlook
Barcelona are heavy home favorites in this game at 1.25, while Roma comes in at 12.00 and a draw is rated at 5.50. These two have met four times in the Champions League as Roma drew 1-1 at Barcelona, who then lost 3-0 in Rome in the second group stage in 2002. They met again in the 2015 group stages as Barcelona drew 1-1 in Rome, and then blew the Italians out 6-1 at home. If Barcelona is without Busquets, who has a toe injury and might miss this game, they should be able to get a hold of Barcelona in midfield if Nainggolan and Strootman play to their potential. However, Barcelona still has a very good defense and they can hold down the fort without him as their shield. The big question is whether or not Roma can contain Messi, who has been in incredible form this season and at home, he is going to be tough to stop.
Champions League Betting Pick: Barcelona
Looking for the latest odds on Champions League matches? Visit Play Shangri La to get all of the odds, including the betting lines to win it all.
