Barcelona’s players will have woken up on Wednesday morning wondering if the previous evening’s events had all been a vivid nightmare.
Sadly for them, they weren’t dreaming. What happened at the Stadio Olimpico most definitely happened.
AS Roma advanced to the Champions League semi-finals, despite losing the first leg 4-1, after recording a stunning 3-0 win over Barça in front of their home supporters.
Goals from Edin Dzeko and Daniele De Rossi gave Roma hope - and then Kostas Manolas popped up with the all-important third goal in the 82nd minute of the match.
Cue pandemonium from the Roma fans, who couldn’t believe their team had upset the odds and reached the last-four of European football’s premier cup competition.
Barcelona’s supporters, on the other hand, were understandably crestfallen after the defeat. Not only was this a wasted opportunity to add another European Cup to their collection but their shock exit increases Real Madrid’s chances of winning the competition for a third successive season.
They will all be praying that Juventus manage to stage a similarly remarkable comeback at the Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.
PUYOL'S TWEET WAS PERFECT
Shortly after the full-time whistle blew at the full-time whistle, Carles Puyol posted a message to Barcelona supporters on Twitter - and it was perfect.
"It's a blow, a hard day, but we can't burn everything down now, we have two titles to win,”
Barça’s former talismanic captain wrote . “Now more than ever, long live Barca!"
Awesome stuff from Puyol. When fans were all losing their heads, there was Puyol to quickly put things into perspective.
Barcelona fans listen to this man and no doubt his timely tweet prevented a few angry messages from being directed at the club’s players on social media.
BARCELONA REMAIN ON COURSE TO WIN TWO TROPHIES
As Puyol alluded to, Barcelona remain on course to finish the season with two major trophies: La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
Ernesto Valverde’s side possess a nine-point lead over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga with seven matches remaining and will face Sevilla in the final of the Copa del Rey at the Wanda Metropolitano on April 21.
It’s now down to the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique - as the club’s senior players - to pick up their teammates after such a disappointing defeat.
That’s what Puyol would have done, anyway.
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