Roma produced one of the great Champions League comebacks by conquering Barcelona 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico to secure a 4-4 aggregate draw and reach the semi-finals on away goals.
Trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Roma got one of the three goals they needed in the sixth minute through Eden Dzeko, who scored the crucial away goal in the first leg.
Barca had only conceded three goals in the competition all season so Eusebio Di Francesco’s side still faced a significant task after the break but Daniele De Rossi’s penalty made it 4-3 on aggregate in the 58th minute and edged them closer to a stunning turnaround.
Manchester City on the other hand, who needed a comeback was knocked out by Liverpool in a 5-1 aggregate.
Gabriel Jesus had stirred hopes of an improbable comeback when he struck inside two minutes but a dominant first-half display in which Bernardo Silva hit the post and Leroy Sane saw a goal wrongly disallowed failed to yield further reward.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, who stunned the Premier League champions-elect with a 3-0 win at a frenzied Anfield, knew an away goal would make City’s task tougher still, and after Salah delivered the demoralising punch (56), Firmino added further insult (77) as the hosts ran out of steam.
While City’s wait for Champions League success continues, Pep Guardiola sent to the stands for his Sane protests, six-time winners Liverpool can dream of writing a further chapter in their storied European history.
Klopp had warned of a brewing City “thunderstorm” after their Manchester derby defeat made them wait for the league title and the perfect start to the perfect game Pep Guardiola called for came when Fernandinho slid through a ball that Raheem Sterling squared for Jesus.
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A fluid City side, supreme in midfield, played keep-ball as Liverpool flustered and Jesus went close following another Sterling dart, before Leroy Sane’s looping cross forced Loris Karius to flap away.
James Milner made a crucial block when Karius could only parry into Bernardo Silva’s path as the game’s one-sided pattern continued, and after crafting space to curl just wide of the far post, Silva went even closer when he cracked the goal frame.
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