5 reasons Roma can win the Champions League

Roma pulled off a three-goal comeback to beat Barcelona and reach the Champions League semifinals. Here are five reasons they can win it all.

It really was closer than it needed to be, but Roma ended up claiming a spot in the Champions League semifinals after all. The Italian side entered the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup with Barcelona down 4-1 on aggregate after coughing up a pair of own goals at the Camp Nou in the first leg.

 As Barcelona proved last year against PSG, though, no advantage is safe in the Champions League. Edin Dzeko scored after just six minutes, giving the home side the momentum at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Daniele de Rossi converted a penalty in the 58th minute to pull the hosts within one goal of pulling off the improbable turnaround.

Then defender Kostas Manolas, the source of one of the two own goals in the first leg on the road, redeemed himself with a winner in the 82nd minute. Manolas also managed to parry away a Lionel Messi cross into the box right before second-half stoppage time.
Now the Romans are onto the Champions League semifinals for the first time in club history. There they will meet one of the bluebloods of European soccer. Either Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Liverpool await in the next round. None should necessarily scare Roma.
It has been eight years since Inter Milan were the last Italian club to win the Champions League. Here are five reasons Roma can end Italy’s drought in 2018.


5. Roma are playing with house money
Roma are one of the sleeping giants of European soccer. In the most recent edition of Deloitte’s annual club revenue rankings, Roma fell out of the top 20 for the first time in three years. Only against the types of teams they meet in the deep stages of the Champions League can the Roman squad be considered an underdog. But they’ll indeed be considered an underdog from here on out. That could be a good thing for the Italians.
First, they have the confidence of knowing they can come back from a major deficit if necessary. Roma would be wise to refrain from falling into such a deficit in the semifinals if they hope to make it to Kyiv in May. But after their shock turnaround against the Catalans, it would be hard to write off the Italians against any and all potential remaining opponents.
In Serie A, Roma currently sit in fourth place. They are one of a small handful of Italian clubs allowing less than one goal per match so far this season. In the group stage, Roma gave up just two goals. Taking own goals out of the equation, the Italians have conceded only eight goals in eight Champions League matches.
Entering the semifinals, Roma are the club with the least pressure and the lowest expectations. As the underdog of the final four, the Italians are playing with house money as they aim for a spot in the final.

Liverpool impressed in their Champions League quarterfinal win over Manchester City. Here’s why they can go all the way.

Only five club’s in the history of the Champions League (and European Cup) have lifted the title on five or more occasions. In 2005, following the magic of Istanbul, Liverpool joined that illustrious group and solidified their place as European royalty. The Reds are the joint-third-most successful club in terms of titles won and carry a storied history in the competition like few others. From Paris to Turkey, they’ve won the lot.

But things have been different in recent years. Liverpool recorded a resounding aggregate victory over Manchester City on Tuesday to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time in a decade. It has been a difficult journey for the Merseysiders during which they only qualified for one of the last five Champions League campaigns. Even then the club was eliminated at the group stage.

Jurgen Klopp has turned things around, though, and parity seems to have been restored. A bitter defeat in the 2016 Europa League final proved the catalyst for Liverpool’s revival and the club are now back among the elite, challenging for Europe’s greatest club trophy. Here are five reasons the Reds can add title number six to their cabinet.

1. The sea of red scarves

Soccer without supporters is nothing, and a good fanbase can be the difference between winning and losing. Liverpool are lucky then that they have the best. Whether home or away, no group of fans can match the atmosphere created by the club’s massive following. The noise which emanates from the Kop on a European night is enough to intimidate even the most seasoned players. The impact of the atmosphere created by the  Anfield faithful was evident on the Manchester City’s players in the first-leg mauling and the traveling fans matched the effort in the away leg. The Premier League champions-to-be were beaten before they even stepped out onto the pitch.
The Champions League final will be played in Kiev rather than at Anfield but with a semifinal tie against Roma in store, the supporters will be in full voice to get the club to over the line. Istanbul was made possible by the passion from the stands and with flares, flags and full house of singing Scousers it can be the driving force behind Liverpool lifting the trophy again.