Barcelona‘s 4-1 win in the first leg against Roma has put them in a commanding position in their Champions League quarter-final.
Roma enter their home leg knowing they need a miracle to progress to their first ever semi-final in the competition.
Here are Seven Deadly Stats ahead of Tuesday’s second leg.
HISTORY AGAINST ROMA
Roma have never progressed when they’ve faced a three-goal deficit from the first leg of a European knockout tie.
They’ve been in such situations four times before, and the fifth time doesn’t look like it’s going to be any different.
Luis Suarez‘s late goal in the first leg to make it 4-1 could end up be the deciding goal of this tie.
Luis Suarez’s goal may have decided this tie already.
FOND MEMORIES FOR BARCELONA
Barcelona won the first Champions League of their current era of dominance at the same stadium they’re visiting on Tuesday.
The 2009 final was played at the Stadio Olimpico, with Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o grabbing the goals in Barca’s famous 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Messi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique remain from that side ten years ago.
Lionel Messi announced himself to the world in the 2009 Champions League final.
AN UNWANTED RECORD FOR EDIN DZEKO
Edin Dzeko must be sick of facing Barcelona. The Roma striker has played against the Catalans six times, and not won once.
If Roma don’t get the win on Tuesday, Dzeko will equal the record for most matches played against a single opponent without a win, held by Alessandro del Piero against Deportivo La Coruña, Arjen Robben against Liverpool, and Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Barcelona.
Dzeko hasn’t won against Barcelona yet.
AND A WANTED RECORD, AS WELL
There is one record Dzeko will want to extend. He’s already set the new high mark for most goals in a single Champions League campaign by a Roma player with five.
It’s safe to say he’s been Roma’s most influential player in Europe this season – having been involved in 58% of their goals in the competition so far.
Dzeko has been instrumental in Roma’s progress so far.
BARCELONA’S UNBEATEN RUN
Everyone knows about Barcelona’s record in La Liga this season. 31 games, zero losses. But they’ve also not been beaten in the Champions League either; in fact, counting last season’s 0-0 draw in the second leg of their quarter-final against Juventus, they’re on a 10-match unbeaten run in the competition.
Barcelona aren’t only unbeaten in La Liga.
BARCELONA’S WINLESS RUN
On the other hand, when it comes to away games in the knockout stages, Barcelona haven’t won in their last four. That includes the same quarter-final last season, when Juventus beat them 3-0.
Of course, in the round before that, they lost 4-0 to PSG in Paris. Encouragement for Roma?
Barcelona won’t have happy memories of their last visit to Italy.
MESSI NEUTRALIZED?
Italy hasn’t been a happy hunting ground for Messi. He’s scored in just one of his last six away appearances against Italian sides. Maybe Roma do have hope.
Italian teams in Italy: Messi’s Kryptonite.
*Stats provided by Gracenote
