Champions League: Barcelona 4 Roma 1: Suarez off the mark after own goals tee up win

Barcelona look set for the last four of the Champions League after Luis Suarez capped a comfortable home win against Roma.

Published : Apr 05, 2018 02:21 IST

Barcelona's Luis Suarez (left) vies for the ball with Roma's Aleksandar Kolarov.
Barcelona's Luis Suarez (left) vies for the ball with Roma's Aleksandar Kolarov.
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Barcelona's Luis Suarez (left) vies for the ball with Roma's Aleksandar Kolarov.

Luis Suarez scored in the Champions League for the first time this season as Barcelona, aided by two own goals, took a commanding 4-1 first-leg lead against Roma in its quarterfinal.

The Uruguay international last found the back of the net in Europe in last term's incredible 6-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain, but he restored Barca's three-goal cushion in the 87th minute after Edin Dzeko grabbed a late away goal.

Ernesto Valverde welcomed Lionel Messi, the match-winner against Chelsea in the previous stage, back into his starting XI following injury, but the Catalan side toiled until Roma shot themselves in the foot either side of half-time.

Messi was involved on both occasions as Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas put through their own net, settling what had been a rather nervy Camp Nou.

Gerard Pique got the third before the hour mark and, following Dzeko's strike 10 minutes from time, Suarez hit the target in the Champions League for the first time in over a year.

Roma's early resolve was admirable in the absence of injured duo Radja Nainggolan and Cengiz Under, but they look to have too much to do back in Italy, with the chances of Eusebio Di Francesco's man mustering the firepower to down the LaLiga leader extremely slim.

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