Roma vs. Barcelona: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game

Barcelona began the defence of their UEFA Champions League crown with a 1-1 draw at the Olimpico against hosts Roma on Wednesday.

Luis Suarez nodded the Blaugrana ahead after Ivan Rakitic's deflected cross found him just a yard out, but Alessandro Florenzi's 40-yard wonderstrike levelled matters ahead of the break.

In the second period, Luis Enrique's men pressed and pressed for a winner to no avail, with the Giallorossi's midfield and defensive stalwarts throwing their bodies in front of anything and everything to preserve the scoreline.

Here, Bleacher Report picks its winners and losers from the game.

Winner: Alessandro Florenzi

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The first European goal scored against the defending champions this season was quite the cracker; Alessandro Florenzi surged forward into a position around 40 yards from goal on the right touchline and let fly, looping a remarkable effort over Marc-Andre ter Stegen and in off the post.

His reaction? To put his head in his hands, as if unable to process what he'd just achieved.

Aside from the wonderstrike, his performance from right-back was excellent. He nullified every attacker who ventured his way, and while he did have some trouble with Jordi Alba's late runs—who doesn't?—he kept things under control.

"I’ve been saying for many years: He [Florenzi] can become one of the best right-backs in circulation," Daniele De Rossi told Mediaset Premium after the game (h/t Football Italia).

He's immensely popular with the fans too, as uMAXit Football's Jack Rathborn noted on Twitter: "Florenzi is what every fan dreams about, wonderful attitude and personality, Roma in his blood."

Loser: Neymar

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One of those attackers wholly unable to get any change out of Florenzi was Neymar, a top-five player in world football who just couldn't coax any rhythm into his own game.

He cut a frustrated figure for much of the game, committing a few heavy touches and only being brought into the play when Lionel Messi forced the ball into his path. His shooting seemed erratic and rushed, and while he did liven up in the last 10 minutes, he was easily one of the worst performers on the pitch.

It was not a good start, but things can only get better for the Brazilian.

Winner: Jeremy Mathieu

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Jeremy Mathieu was given the distinctly unenviable task of covering, marking and tracking Mohamed Salah on counter-attacks. Given the Egyptian tore past Jordi Alba stride for stride midway through the first half, few felt confident in saying Mathieu would last the game trying to keep up.

But keep up he did—not in terms of matching speed, but in bottling him in any way possible—and despite Salah's embarking upon around 10 dangerous transitional runs, he was always (eventually) closed down, crowded out and forced away from the penalty box. Credit Mathieu for a hard job well done.

This performance was truly important for the Barcelona man, who stepped into the central-defensive void left by the injured duo of Javier Mascherano and Thomas Vermaelen. It was his chance to stake a claim for a first-XI spot in La Liga, and he emerged victorious in impressive fashion.

Loser: Luis Enrique

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In the 62nd minute, Rafinha replaced Ivan Rakitic in central midfield. Three minutes later, the Brazilian was stretchered off with an injury. That's your depth gone, Luis Enrique.

With Pedro departed and both Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan banned from playing for Barcelona until January, Rafinha stands the only reserve option to the Messi-Suarez-Neymar trio who isn't a duckling still very much learning his trade.

Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez are now all "Lucho" has to call upon if he wishes to rotate his vaunted front three, and that issue of numbers—purported in pre-season—is already rearing its head.

Could the decision to comply with Pedro's exit wishes come back to haunt Barca so soon?

Winner: Daniele De Rossi

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There are a number of Roma players we could label a winner here: Radja Nainggolan, Antonio Rudiger, Kostas Manolas, etc. The list of impressive Giallorossi performers is a lengthy one.

But Daniele De Rossi emerged from this game with people talking about him for all the right reasons, and his machine-like presence in midfield had a big say in an impressive point gained for the capital club.

He made at least two key interventions, with the close-range block against Messi in the first half—a certain goal had he not got there just in time—providing one of the defensive highlights of the match.

It is in these moments that Roma need their warriors to step up, and De Rossi did just that on Wednesday night.

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