It will indeed be an interesting reunion when Barcelona and Roma meet later today at the Stadio Olimpico, especially for coach Luis Enrique. The Spanish tactician previously managed the Giallorossi during the 2011/2012 season, but left after one frustrating term in the Italian capital. Yet, three seasons later, he had won a historic Treble with Barcelona in his debut season - a feat only matched by Pep Guardiola - and could become the first manager to successfully clinch two straight Champions League titles since AC Milan did so in 1989 and 1990 (under the old format).
Roma
After finishing in second last season, the Lupi are back for another attempt in the Champions League. This will be the ninth appearance in Europe's premier competition, but their best ever finish was the quarter-finals during the 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 campaigns under Luciano Spaletti. Last season, they were unable to get out of their group and were eliminated by fellow Italian side Fiorentina during the round of 16 in the Europa League.
So far, Rudi Garcia's side have fared well in their domestic campaign with two wins - including a confidence boosting one over Juventus - and one draw. However, the French coach does not boast a good record in the Champions League, having won just three out of his last 18 matches whilst at Lille and Roma. The other 15 games have finished as 10 losses and five draws. Additionally, the Giallorossi have not been able to keep a clean sheet since a 1-0 result against Arsenal in March 2009, something that will not be of comfort as they prepare to take on a team that boasts arguably the best attack in the world in Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar.
The most recent competitive meeting between the Roma and Barcelona was during the 2001/2002 Champions League group stage. Interestingly, both Francesco Totti and Luis Enrique were on the pitch at the same time during the 1-1 stalemate at Camp Nou and the 3-0 victory for Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
Should the evergreen Totti find the back of the net, it will be a personal milestone as the oldest-ever Champions League goal-scorer will reach 300 goals in all competitions for the only club he has played for since 1992. In terms of personnel, Garcia's side have been dealt a major blow as Bosnian playmaker Miralem Pjanic will not be able to feature due a calf injury sustained whilst on international duty.
Despite being viewed as the underdogs, Roma fans may hope that Barcelona's poor record on the road against Serie A teams will still continue later today. The Blaugrana have only won one out of their last six games, with their last win being against AC Milan in the 2011/2012 group stages and have a record of six wins, eight draws, and six losses in their past 20 matches against Italian sides.
Barcelona
Last season was definitely one to celebrate for Barcelona fans. With their 3-1 win over Juventus in the UCL final, the Blaugrana made history as the first team to win two Trebles and now will have the opportunity to successfully defend their continental crown. The fearsome attack of "MSN" showed their true potential not just in scoring goals, but racking up the assists as well and will be keen on picking up where they left off. So far in La Liga, Messi, Suarez, and Neymar have each grabbed one goal, and although as a whole the team has scored just four, they nonetheless boast a perfect win record.
Although Barcelona don't have the best of showings against Italian sides on the road, the reigning champions overall have a good record in general when playing away at the Camp Nou. Not only have they won four out of their last six away games, but also they scored in each and every single one for a grand total of 15.
In their last fixture, four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi came off the bench to score the game winner against Atletico Madrid, and the 28-year-old, widely viewed as a big favorite to win the upcoming Ballon d'Or, will reach a century (100) appearances in the Champions League when he takes to the pitch tonight.
Barcelona will have to contend with some injuries to Claudio Bravo as well as Dani Alves. And unfortunately, Thomas Vermaelen - who is the only player besides "MSN" to have scored in the league - is set for another spell on the sidelines after missing pretty much the whole of last season due to injury problems. However, Gerard Pique will be available for selection as his suspension only applies to domestic fixtures.
With potentially tricky opponent Bayer Leverkusen also in their quartet, both Roma and Barcelona will be keen on starting their campaigns off right tonight. Certainly, the Blaugrana are viewed as the heavy favorites to win against the Giallorossi, but in football, the unexpected sometimes becomes reality and indeed, anything can happen.
AS Roma vs Barcelona team sheets
Roma's First XI: Szczesny, Florenzi, Manolas, Rudiger, Digne, Keita, De Rossi, Nainggolan, Salah, Dzeko, Falque
Barcelona's First XI: Ter Stegen, S. Roberto, Pique, Mathieu, Alba, Sergio, Rakitic, Iniesta, Neymar, Messi, Suarez
Barcelona's bench: Masip, Rafinha, Mascherano, Munir, Sandro, Adriano
You definitely don't want miss out on this game, which could see both Messi and Totti reach milestones!
Make sure you bookmark LiveSoccerTV.com's special Roma vs. Barcelona match page for viewing options and times for your specific location.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
