Roma pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks in last night’s Champions League second leg against Barcelona.
From 4-1 down in the first leg – after which the Gazzetta dello Sport wrote “Let’s not tell stories about a ‘comeback’ at the Olimpico” – they secured a stunning 3-0 win to advance to the Semi-Finals.
This is what this morning’s Italian newspapers made of the Romantada.
“From last night, the Roma-Barcelona ticket is priceless,” wrote Luca Valdiserri in the Corriere della Sera.
Roma pulled off the most unlikely of comebacks in last night’s Champions League second leg against Barcelona.
From 4-1 down in the first leg – after which the Gazzetta dello Sport wrote “Let’s not tell stories about a ‘comeback’ at the Olimpico” – they secured a stunning 3-0 win to advance to the Semi-Finals.
This is what this morning’s Italian newspapers made of the Romantada.
“From last night, the Roma-Barcelona ticket is priceless,” wrote Luca Valdiserri in the Corriere della Sera.
“There will be none to find on Ebay. Whoever has one will hold on to it like an amulet, to pull it out in times of trouble when they need a hit of optimism. This isn’t a miracle, it’s more”.
He goes on to write that the “unique charm of football” always made a comeback theoretically possible but “what really was impossible was to reduce Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to two provincial strikers… turning Barcelona into Crotone – with respect for another Rossoblu team – wasn’t even in dreams. Instead it became a reality”.
The Gazzetta dello Sport’s match report is headline Ro-Magic, and speaks of a “legendary comeback”.
“If it were a film or a song, it would be ‘The Best Roma of Our Lives’,” the newspaper begins.
“If it were a painting it would be ‘The Scream of Manolas’. An epic, even Homeric feat from Roma who turned Barcelona inside-out like a sock”.
In their player ratings, no Roma player is given below a 7/10, with Alisson getting the worst mark because he had nothing to do. Edin Dzeko gets a 9/10, with the question: “Suarez who?”.
Lionel Messi was awarded just 4.5/10.
La Repubblica felt Roma “entered into legend. They won 3-0. Against Barcelona. Or against something that resembled the Catalan team”.
“A miracle had to happen, and the miracle happened,” wrote La Stampa, calling it “a historic feat”.
Tuttosport called the result “incredible, unthinkable, against all odds”, noting that “the Olimpico exploded” when Kostas Manolas headed in the third.
Roma’s sports daily, the Corriere dello Sport, was understandably rapturous about the Lupi’s performance.
“Roma are already entered into legend. At the end of an incredible, unique, special match, Dzeko and his teammates give their people a crazy victory.
“A 3-0 that humiliates Messi’s Barcelona, and leads the team into the Champions League semi-finals. A triumph in front of a packed-out Olimpico, a stadium which pulsed with love and experienced an extraordinary match.”
The newspaper noted that “Messi was reduced to a ghost by the perfect movements of the Roman rearguard” concluding that this was “an evening the Giallorossi people will never forget”.