Champions League
2018-04-04 - Barcelona vs Roma
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: European Champions League Quarter Final First Leg
Wednesday 4th April 2018 - Kick Off 7:45pm
This game is live on TV
Barcelona
Despite leading the Spanish Primera Division, there are still a few doubts about whether this Barcelona team have the capability of going all the way in the Champions League. However they are a team with plenty of quality to call upon and Barcelona will be strong favourites to make it through to the Champions League Semi Final.
The 4-1 win over Chelsea in the Champions League Last 16 was perhaps a flattering result for Barcelona, but it also means they are unbeaten in 9 games in the Champions League. It can't be ignored that 3 of their last 5 games in this competition have ended in draws, although Barcelona have won 19 of their last 20 home Champions League ties.
Barcelona extended their run to 16 games unbeaten in all competitions when fighting back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw at Sevilla on Saturday. They have won 19 of their last 21 games at the Nou Camp including the last 4 in a row since a surprising goalless draw with Getafe.
Sergio Busquets is expected to miss this game, but Nelson Semedo is available having returned from an injury of his own.
Roma
It has been a long time since Roma have earned their place in the last eight of the Champions League, but they have made it back to the Quarter Final for the first time in a decade. The challenges certainly get a lot harder for Roma here on out, but they will have gained plenty of confidence from their run in the Champions League even if they come into this one as a significant underdog.
Away goals proved to be the difference for Roma in the Last 16 when they knocked out Shakhtar Donetsk and that came after winning a Group that contained the likes of Chelsea and Atletico Madrid. One concern for Roma is they have won 1 of their last 14 away Champions League games and have lost back to back ties at Atletico Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Roma had been unbeaten in 5 games in all competitions and they had won 4 in a row before the 1-1 draw with Bologna at the weekend. Despite that result in Bologna, Roma have won 4 of their last 6 away from home in all competitions.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, Radja Nainggolan and Cengiz Under are all doubts for this First Leg at the Nou Camp.
Head to Head
Barcelona are hosting Roma for the third time and they have drawn once and beaten them once here.
Two seasons ago Barcelona crushed Roma 6-1 at the Nou Camp in the Champions League Group Stage.
Prediction
It feels like it would be a pretty big surprise if Barcelona are not able to beat Roma in the Champions League Quarter Final over the next seven days even if I remain a little unconvinced about how strong this current Barcelona side are.
This has been a season in which Roma have overachieved in the Champions League but they have to be respected for some of the performances they have produced.
The stand out performances came against Chelsea in the Group Stage, but Barcelona may be a tougher prospect for a group of players who will remember the 6-1 defeat here in the Group Stage two seasons ago.
Roma have also been beaten at Atletico Madrid this season and they have been a poor travelling team in the Champions League. Now they have to face a Barcelona team who have won plenty of games at home both domestically and in the Champions League and who will have the majority of the ball in the First Leg as they look to build a lead to take to the Italian capital next week.
I do think Barcelona will come away with a lead and I think the control of the ball will restrict the chances Roma are able to create.
While I am not convinced Barcelona are as strong defensively as other teams in Europe, they have been good enough at home to earn plenty of clean sheets. Barcelona have only conceded 1 goal in 4 Champions League games here this season, while they have conceded just 2 goals in 12 at home in all competitions.
Barcelona may be able to play well enough to contain Roma in this First Leg too having beaten Italian Champions Juventus 3-0 in the Group Stage. Their visitors have already failed to score once in a defeat in Spain this season and I am going to back Barcelona to win this one with a clean sheet at odds against.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Barcelona 3-0 Roma
