Roma Beat Barcelona 3-0 to Advance to Champions League Semi-Finals

AS Roma defeated Barcelona 3-0 to complete one of the biggest UEFA Champions League comebacks in history and advance to the competition's semi-finals for the first time in the club's history.

The Blaugrana brought a 4-1 lead to their second leg in Rome, but Edin Dzeko and Daniele De Rossi scored either side of half-time to reduce the Italian side's deficit before Kostas Manolas' 82nd-minute header sealed an away-goals win.

The result means Roma are set to make their maiden appearance in the Champions League semi-finals; their last visit to the last four in the top continental competition was when they finished European Cup runners-up to Liverpool in 1984.

Here are some of the top talking points from Tuesday's comeback:

Relentless Roma 

Dzeko's poke, De Rossi's penalty and a late Manolas header ultimately decided Tuesday's second leg, but there was hardly a moment in which Eusebio Di Francesco's men didn't look ferocious in their undertaking.

Barcelona's midfield was almost missing with a spine of Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic, and BT Sport hailed this as a revival of immensely rare proportions:

As mentioned, the Giallorossi last made it to the last four in the 1983-84 European Cup. With Liverpool advancing past Manchester City in Tuesday's other quarter-final, a repeat of that year's final could be on the cards.

While the Serie A title race may not be quite as close as Roma wish it were—they are 21 points behind leaders Juventus—Roma can take pride in ousting Barca and look to this display as the cornerstone of bigger things to come.

Barca Broken

For a team that came into Tuesday's clash with only one defeat to their name this season, Barcelona looked timid and flustered by the suffocating tactics of Di Francesco.

The Blaugrana had conceded only twice in their eight previous European outings this season, and a frail first half in particular saw Ernesto Valverde's side encourage punishment too close to home, per OptaJose:

If Barcelona looked frazzled after Dzeko's first, the Catalan outfit seemed to be knocked even further off the pace when De Rossi converted a penalty in the 58th minute, per the BBC's John Bennett:

"

Barcelona look spent... No energy at all. Roma all over them. One goal needed for the Italians. #UCL

— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) April 10, 2018"

Valverde's team didn't deserve to go through based on their display over the two legs, relying on two own goals at the Camp Nou before failing to impose themselves at all in Rome during the second leg.

With a European and domestic treble no longer attainable, this result serves as a wake-up call for Barcelona, while the rest of Europe would be wise to pay attention to the power simmering at the Stadio Olimpico.

Dzeko Masterclass

For those who thought Dzeko's 2016 departure to Roma from Manchester City was a case of him taking his talents to a lesser level, Tuesday's display was evidence why he remains one of the best strikers in world football.

With 19 goals to his name this season before the Stadio Olimpico clash, the Bosnia and Herzegovina international added to his impressive European record with a crucial breakthrough in the Italian capital:

Dzeko got the better of Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti to race on to a floated ball and send the opener past Marc-Andre ter-Stegen, in the process entering himself into Roma history books, per Sky Sports Statto:

Gerard Pique and Umtiti each struggled to get the measure of Roma's frontman, which allowed him almost free rein to lay the foundation for the hosts' precise performance.