'A true masterpiece': How press and fans reacted to Barca drama

Roma needed to beat Barcelona 3-0 to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League. Few people, if anyone, gave them a chance.

But, when the full time whistle rang, Roma had beaten Barcelona 3-0.

That final whistle sparked incredible, unforgettable scenes inside the Stadio Olimpico - as more than 60,000 fans laughed, cried, cheered and shook their heads in disbelief at what they had seen.

Eusebio Di Francesco's side - playing a new-look 3-4-3 formation specifically implemented for the game - did not just beat Spain's champions-elect but bullied them, taking the lead after six minutes and turning the tie around for good with 10 minutes remaining.

Perhaps for those who have watched Roma regularly that season it was not such a surprise: echoes of the display had been seen previously in dominant wins over Chelsea and Napoli over the course of the campaign.

But for the rest of the world it was certainly a shock, as the Giallorossi suddenly became the team on everyone's lips.

How the match panned out...

“I'm happy for the lads but it wasn't the formation: the difference was in our mindset and aggressive approach. We decided to go with three forwards close together because it meant they had less width and we could get at them more. I'm very happy with the new formation but I'm more interested in the way the team plays. We must take strength from this.”

- Eusebio Di Francesco, head coach

“We all believed, even though people only gave us a 5% chance of going through. Well, we've done it now – in spectacular fashion – and I think we deserve to take our place in the last four.”

- Edin Dzeko

"It was strange to see Barcelona looking to protect the lead rather than impose their own game. They never do that, they always look to come and play, so the fact that they wanted to wind down the clock from the start encouraged us. It was a signal that they were there for the taking."

- Kevin Strootman

“What a night. This is a great result for us and for our history. The important thing is that we continue like this. We haven’t accomplished anything yet as there are still many games to go. Even if we lost the first leg, we were confident with the way we had played and it showed tonight."

- Daniele De Rossi, captain

The press reaction in Italy...

“Miracles, in football, do exist..."

- La Repubblica

“This isn’t a miracle. It’s something bigger than that.”

- Corriere della Sera

“Roma turn over Barcelona and burst triumphantly into the semi-finals, in the face of bank balances, academy systems, tiki-taka and Messi’s five Ballons d’Or. We are still alive, there will be a little bit of Italy among the best four teams in Europe. Three goals against the legendary armada who rewrote the rules of modern football and who have won three of the last 10 Champions Leagues."

- Gazzetta dello Sport

“This was an authentic masterpiece by Di Francesco, who did not make a single mistake. He earned with full marks the right to be considered a manager of an exceptional international level. But this was also, and above all, the great victory of the fans, who dragged Roma on against the Spanish superstars, as well as against a referee who tried to block the way with an endless series of back-to-front decisions.”

- Corriere dello Sport

The press reaction in Spain...

"Whoever decided to bet on a Roma comeback will be rich today. Barça played a horrible game, without defense or attack, unable to control the driving style and heart of Roma. The team of Ernesto Valverde, who were in control of the tie until the 80th minute, fell apart in monumental fashion, leaving their shortcomings to the air. The treble is already out of reach."

- Marca

"The Eternal City, the same one that crowned a splendid Barça in 2009, last night condemned a decadent team that has run riot in Europe before falling irredeemably against an adversary that hardly ever contends in the competition."

- El Pais

"And the worst thing is... it was deserved."

- El Mundo Deportivo

Reaction from around the world...

"For anyone mourning Barcelona's limp, uncompetitive exit from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage against Roma, there is some bitter consolation: There was no doubt whatsoever, across two matches, that the more deserving side advanced."

- ESPN

"Nobody should criticise Roma for reacting as if they had just become the champions of Europe. They achieved something extraordinary, defying the odds on a wild night at the Stadio Olimpico by overhauling a 4-1 deficit to Barcelona from the first leg, and how the underdogs cherished reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 1984."

- The Guardian

"Shares in AS Roma jumped the most since 2014 after the Italian soccer club’s dramatic comeback in its UEFA Champions League tie against FC Barcelona, where it shocked the tournament favorites to win a place among the last four teams."

- Bloomberg

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