Luis Suarez akishangilia bao lake baada ya mauaji waliyofanya kwa kuifunga Roma Mabao 4-1 katika michuano ya Ligi ya Mabingwa Ulaya UEFA
KWA HABARI ZAIDI BONYEZA HAPA.........>>>>>>>
Gerard Pique toasts his goal which effectively ended the quarter-final as a contest just before the hour mark of the first leg
Samuel Umtiti leads the celebrations as the centre back attempted to claim Kostas Manolas' own goal as his own
Barcelona players celebrate after Daniele De Rossi's own goal put them 1-0 up with seven minutes remaining in the first half
Lionel Messi was handed with a commemorative plaque to celebrate him reaching 100 Champions League goals last time out
The Argentine got a hug from his former team-mate Carles Puyol after he was presented with his plaque before the crowd
One Barcelona supporter declares his love for Andres Iniesta, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and the club in the Nou Camp stands
Gerard Pique got the third from a rebound after Alisson pushed out Luis Suarez’s shot.
Roma
then got their away goal. Perotti crossed from the left and Edin Dzeko
got between Barcelona defenders to steer the ball past Marc-Andre ter
Stegen.
But with his first goal for
over a year in the Champions League, Suarez made it 4-1. The result will
be enough to see them through save a remarkable turnaround in next
week’s second leg, but they will need to find another gear to win the
competition.
They started slowly although Suarez buried Andres Iniesta’s pass only to be flagged offside.
For
Roma former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko went down under Nelson
Semedo’s challenge from behind but referee Danny Makkelie waved away
appeals despite Semedo’s knee making contact with Dzeko.
Messi looks to get the better of Manolas during the opening stages of the Champions League quarter-final first leg
Suarez had the ball in the net
for Barcelona but his effort after six minutes was correctly disallowed
for offside by the linesman
Messi fired an early effort on goal but his powerful strike was saved comfortably by Roma's Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson
Lionel
Messi then tested Alisson with a long shot. When it was saved Barcelona
players were slow to the rebound. The atmosphere was flat and it was
reflected on the pitch.
Ivan Rakitic’s
long diagonal shot came back off the post and finally the noise levels
lifted although it had more to do with a yellow balloon protest for the
freeing of political prisoners awaiting trial for their part in last
year’s illegal referendum on independence than the game itself.
Messi
tried to dribble through Roma’s well-organized defence but he was
isolated. When he finally did get free he released Suarez. The forward
went for the far corner and Alisson made a good save.
Roma
were doing what so many teams who prosper against Barcelona do parking
the defence deep, centrally, and on the edge of the penalty area. But on
38 minutes those massed ranks were breached. They had smothered Messi
so well but in an attempt to prevent the ball reaching him it ended up
in the back of the net.
Edin Dzeko went to ground in the penalty area under the slightest of touches from Barcelona right back Jose Semedo
The Bosnian looked to the referee for a penalty but his appeals were waved away after he went to ground far too easily
Barcelona supporters released yellow balloons in the stands to demand freedom for imprisoned Catalan separatist leaders
Aleksandar Kolarov attempts to control the ball on his thigh under pressure from Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto
Messi attempts to shake off the attentions of Kevin Strootman (right), Alessandro Florenzi (centre) and Diego Perotti (right)
Iniesta played the pass and just before it reached Messi, De Rossi’s right boot sent it flying past the Roma keeper.
It
was harsh on Roma and that were nearly given the immediate chance to
get level when Umtiti – a shadow of his early season form before he was
being talked up as a Manchester United target – went diving in at
Lorenzo Pellegrini’s feet.
The
desperate challenge’s only merit was that it was outside the area, just.
Pellegrini put the free-kick into the wall and Roma went off at
half-time with a 1-0 reverse they felt they had not deserved.
Any
team fortunate enough to face Barcelona when they are off their game
needs to take its chances and that was one thing Roma were guilty of.
Umtiti rises highest to clear before the ball reaches Dzeko with Lorenzo Pellegrini watching the action from the turf
De Rossi stretches and inadvertently puts through his own net after trying to prevent Andres Iniesta's pass from finding Messi
Messi and his Barcelona team-mates march back to the centre spot after De Rossi's unfortunate own goal gave them the lead
De Rossi (left) watches as Messi throws the ball back to the centre spot following the Italian's own goal on 38 minutes
With
their first attack of the second half Diego Perotti had a free header
at the back post but inexplicably he sent the ball wide of Marc Andre
ter Stegen’s left-hand upright.
When
Barcelona’s second goal came there was another huge slice of luck.
Rakitic crossed from the right and Manolas got to the ball before
Umtiti.
First he hammered it on to his
own post. It was so nearly a spectacular own goal. Then it was an own
goal. The ball came back out and hit the Greek defender before crossing
the line for 2-0.
Umtiti claimed the goal and ran to the nearest camera to grab a fistful of his own Barcelona shirt and point to the club badge.
Perotti reacts after missing a brilliant chance to equalise as Roma continued to impress after going 1-0 down to Barcelona
Pique slides in to deny Kolarov as Barcelona were put under pressure by Eusebio Di Francesco's side in the second half
Umtiti's effort from Rakitic's cross was diverted into his own net by Roma's Manolas for the second own goal of the game
Umtiti accepts the plaudits from Semedo (left) and Roberto (right) after the own goal put Barcelona 2-0 up in the first leg
It
was an animated celebration considering he had not touched the ball,
but it fitted the narrative of him wanting a new contract from the club
while last week sowing the seeds of doubt over whether he would renew
with the club.
With one centre-back
almost scoring, the other was soon officially on the scoresheet. Suarez
showed a cool head in the area pausing before shooting and although
Alisson made the save he failed to hold the shot and as it rolled back
out, Pique was on hand to finish and make it 3-0.
Dzeko
gave travelling Roma fans some hope by exposing Barcelona’s defensive
weakness to make it 3-1 but Suarez opened the winning margin up again
and Ernesto Valverde's side are surely through to the semi-finals.
Pique tucked home from the rebound after Suarez's effort was saved by Alisson before wheeling away in celebration
Pique gestures to the Nou Camp crowd after his goal saw Barcelona take a commanding lead despite a below-par display
The long-serving centre back laps up the adulation of the Barcelona supporters as Catalan flags wave in the stands behind
Dzeko retrieves the ball from the net after his goal gave them a glimmer of hope with 11 minutes remaining in the first leg
Suarez jumps for joy after making it 4-1 to Barcelona as the striker restored their three-goal lead three minutes from time
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