Roma show that they have learned their lesson following Barcelona draw

Roma’s Champions League draw with Barcelona was about much more than the one point collected. We reveal why it meant so much to the Serie A side.

When Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers blew the final whistle in Wednesday night’s 1-1 Champions League draw between AS Roma and Barcelona, the Olympic Stadium in Rome exploded with enthusiasm.

Normally, home draws in the group phase of the Champions League generate more discontent than appreciation but this was different.

First and foremost, Roma can perhaps feel that, one year on, they have finally laid their “Bayern” ghost. Remember that humiliating 7-1 drubbing they suffered this time last year at the hands of Bayern Munich, the then reigning European Champions.

There are many of us who would argue that Roma last year never really recovered from that trauma, finishing the season a very tame second, 17 points behind Juventus and long since knocked out of European competition.

Just one year later, Roma again found themselves facing the reigning European champions, this time the almighty Barca of Messi, Neymar, Suarez, Iniesta, Pique et al.

Many Roma fans were worried that there might be a repeat last year’s error, that of believing that they could go out there and “mix it” with the reigning champions. Much better to adopt classic Italian defensive tactics, argued many.

Furthermore, in an opinion poll on state broadcaster, RAI, just hours before the game, 75% of fans said they thought Barcelona would win.

Hence, the huge sense of relief at the end of the game. Not only had Roma not lost but they had picked up a fortuitous draw in a game in which Barcelona had 73% of the possession. French coach Rudi Garcia took no chances, this time placing the experienced Daniele De Rossi in front of a four man defence.

The result was a curious game in which 90% of the action took place 40 yards out from the Roma goal, with Barca knocking the ball around in their classic hynotising rhythm, so hypnotising that at times they risked sending not only the Roma defence but also themselves fast asleep.

However, 21 minutes into the game, they were wide enough awake to work a classic Messi-Rakitic-Suarez combination for a goal that not only reflected the run of play but which also suggested that more Barca goals could be on the way.

And so, perhaps, there might have been were it not for the outrageous, 55-yard long ranger scored ten minutes later by Roma’s Alessandro Florenzi, who caught Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen well out of his goal.

This goal prompts two thoughts. Firstly, Florenzi can try a shot like that another 100 times and it may not come off for him. Secondly, this is not the first time that Ter Stegen has been caught out in no man’s land, given his tendency to move forward into a libero position behind his defence.

Roma, however, were not going to look this extraordinary gift horse in the mouth. The goal galvanised the home team, generating a dour sense of purpose that saw them through extensive periods of total if not always urgent Barca dominance.

So, what do we conclude from this game? Having roundly beaten last season’s Champions League finalists Juventus three weeks back and now having drawn with current champions Barcelona, have Roma taken a significant step forward? One suspects not but this was still a lot better than getting stuffed 7-1 at home.

Despite all their valiant damage-limitations, the gulf between Roma and Barca remains huge. As for Juventus, as the Old Lady’s 2-1 group win over Manchester City this week showed, reports of her demise have been a bit exaggerated.

The new-look Juventus, perhaps rather aided by Dame Fortune, proved that her performances so far this season were simply too bad to be true. She may return before long to haunt Roma, whilst her Champions League experience and know-how should see her into the second round, at least.

All in all, however, this has so far been a good week for Italian football with Roma and Juventus doing much better in their opening group games than many of us had expected.