Barcelona 4 Roma 1: two own goals gift Catalans the win, Luis Suarez also scores in stinker

That was a wildly irritating football match and I for one am delighted to see the back of it. Barcelona were muted, muddled and half-assed. Roma were pathetic. Neither of them really deserved to win, indeed both of them deserved to lose. Two own goals, defensive error all over the place.

But there you go. You don't need to play brilliantly in every match to win a knockout trophy. Barcelona will travel to Italy with the job surely done. They were there for the taking tonight, but Roma failed. I think I will wrap this up soon as, and we'll have a report directly. Cheers.

Ha, well, you have to laugh really. Roma had been enjoying a good spell, but suddenly hit a flat spot. Ball crossed hard and low by Denis Suarez, terrible bit of defending by Fazio who just cushions the ball for Luis Saurez. The ghastly former Liverpool player needs no second invitation and wallops it home. What is Fazio thinking? Just clear it, you berk.

Roma. What an absolute shower. Juventus's defending was sloppy last night, but this is something else.

Simply abject from Roma. Fazio has totally killed the tie there. Just clear it, man. 

Boak. 

Iniesta comes off, Denis Suarez comes on.

Messi has just had a shot. Nope.

Sergi Roberto off, Andre Gomes on.

Finally Barcelona are punished for a sloppy, lazy display. The ball is played into the box by Perotti, good touch from Edin Dzeko, and a nice finish. Roma have a lifeline.

And now Perotti has drawn a save out of ter Stegen, flamboyant stop. Roma are well on top and look a different side the last few minutes.

Defrel comes on for the luckless De Rossi. And he is in the action right away! ter Stegen tries a bit of skill, loses it, and Defrel hits a shot at goal. ter Stegen races back from the edge of the six yard area and pulls off a great save! Pure clowning.

Roma committing men forward, Perotti on the charge. Very promising position... slips it to Strootman, who shoots... Pique blocks behind. Corner. Dealt with. Corner again. Dealt with again.

El Shaarawy replaces Florenzi.

Sergio Roberto finds Messi. Peter Drury is going to do himself an injury with the "MESSI!!"!"!£"!IWQERIREMADSmdv"!"!£"QP98i5" yelping every time the wee article gets within a few yards of the ball. Chill. He'll be on telly again soon. I am sure he will score a goal soon.

Messi tries a volley from outside the area. Over.

Messi chips it forward, looking for Suarez. Corner.

Biscuits is coming off. Paulinho on.

Pellegrini off and Gonalons coming on. If Roma can just get a goal, it will at least keep the tie vaguely interesting. At this rate, the second legs are all going to be rather dull. Liverpool, Madrid and Barcelona 3-0 up. Bryan beat Sevilia 2-1 in Spain so it's hard to see the Germans not going through.

And it's three! Messi pops up down the right, lovely side foot pass from the master finds Suarez. Good hit at goal from The Biter, Allison palms it out... right into the path of Pique! What's he doing in the six-yard box?! Well, he's tapping the ball in for Barca's third, is what he's doing. 

Poor old Roma feeling like they've been mugged at a creche. Rakitić has an effort.

And there it is. Again, it's scrappy, it's a bit fortunate, and it's Barcelona into the semi finals.

Corner, Rakitic slides the ball across the six yard box. Manolas sticks a leg out, it hits the post, rebounds, HITS MANOLAS AGAIN and goes in. I mean, FFS. How unlucky is that? Umtiti, who is right on the scene, reckons that he has bundled it in. Either way, it is 2-0.

I think this sums up the confusion.

This is as bad as I have seen Barca since the PSG game. They are not at it at all. They are, in fact, there for the taking. BUT it only takes one little click and this tie is over.

The old pals act now combines as Iniesta runs, slips it, and there's Messi to crush a shot at goal. Allison saves.

Barca are all over the place. Umtiti is sleeping as he tries a defensive header, nearly gives it away in his own six yard box. Florenzi almost steals in.

Allison nearly hands Barca a second. A nothing shot from Alba is straight at him, but he spills it. Suarez, not on his game, spanks the rebound miles over.

At the other end, Florenzi has a shot on target from about 18 yards.

Oh Roma should be level! Barcelona still in the dressing room having a nice sit down, Roma start down the right, unimpeded. Cross from Florenzi. Free header for Perotti. He's put it wide! From point blank! That is a shocker.

Right then. Will this improve?

Not a lot to say about that really. Barca never really got going. Some of the best players alive tried a few dives. There was an own goal. Hopefully things pick up after the break. (Why are you not watching Liverpool?)

Even Pep would rather be watching Liverpool.

Messi's run is ended by Kolarov, unfairly. He's rightly booked. The man himself takes the freekick. Into the wall.

Ooh, Roma want a penalty! A foul on Pellegrini by Umtiti and that is, what an inch outside the box! Just a freekick.

I mean, SO close!

Freekick is an utter turkey. 

Messi down in the box, ref not having it. Manolas leaned on him. Risky business in this town.

Ah, that is hard lines. A neat, crisp Barcelona move, Iniesta plays the ball through to Messi, who is in a dangerous position... but before he can get there, Daniele De Rossi sticks out a boot and fires an unstoppable own goal past his own keeper. Oh no!

Iniesta flicks it to Messi, and he is JUST about to shoot when Manolas nicks it off him.

I feel a bit like a teetotaler on a brewery tour. The office is whooping in astonishment at Liverpool vs City. Very, very quiet in this game.

It's 3-0 to Liverpool!

Iniesta dribbles forward, and then goes down in the area. Dived. Peres never touched him. Disappointing from a player of his ability.

Barca turning the screw. Corner. Out. Corner. Out. Corner. Now a ball across field. Iniesta hits it. Rising.

Roma break, and this might have been quite useful had Florenzi not got tangle in his own feet. Semedo gave him a nudge.

Suarez has it on the left, Iniesta is purring forward. Nice move this. Alba joins in. Messi finds Suarez with a one-two. Shoots! Low and across goal, Allison turns it away.

60-40 in possession to Barca, 153 passes to 80.

20 on 20 action! Fazio and Sergi Roberto clash going for the ball. Freekick Roma.

Messi with some SICK skills here as he tries to dance through the massed ranks of Roma. It drops eventually to Rakitic and he hits a shot.

Some yellow balloons which are a political act and thus bad and wrong drift onto the pitch and there's a delay while somebody pops them.

Roma make a terrible effort at defending this corner. Two Roma players get in each other's way! Keystone Cops stuff, this. Rakitic drills the ball low, and... hits the post. Suarez blazes the rebound over.

Roma won't mind too much if they lose I guess, but you want to at least make them beat you, not give it up on a plate.

Suarez drives at the goal from the left side, has a crack from distance. Hits Manolas and goes behind for a corner.

Well it is not a classic so far, let me tell you.

Dzeko draws a foul. Roma looking to press, and to spoil.

for Liverpool!

Messi cracks one from the edge of the box. Allison needs two bites of the cherry but gathers alright in the end.

Dzeko, no doubt thinking "when in Rome..." dives all over the place in a rather pathetic attempt to win a penalty. Ref unmoved.

Suarez has it in the net, but Bitey Boy was offside. By quite a long way in fact.

Pique has to look lively as Dzeko makes a move forward. 

Played up now to Messi, who is just offside. Rather a muted atmosphere, and a slow start from Barca.

Messi has it, dangerous on the edge of the book, but good work from Peres to snuff this out. John Mc Enerney writes:

Evening Alan, expecting Roma use Dzeko aerial prowess if & when they get down the flanks & from set pieces. FCB are such an experienced group that they should win this 2 or 3 nil. Their back4 was suspect enough earlier on in the season but they’ve come together nicely. For sure Messi will get on the scoresheet. Iniesta will be instrumental as always, I’m still wide eyed at his brilliance & flabbergasted he’s never won the Balon D’oro. Enjoy it. John

Barca slow to start, Perotti gets down the right and crosses into the box.

Barca kick off but Roma are at them right away, pressing, and pinching the ball.

Barcelona: ter Stegen, Nelson Semedo, Pique, Umtiti,  Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto, Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, Iniesta,  Messi, Luis Suarez. Subs: Cillessen, Denis Suarez, Dembele,  Paulinho, Alcacer, Andre Gomes, Vermaelen.

Roma: Alisson, Bruno Peres, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov,  Lorenzo Pellegrini, De Rossi, Strootman, Florenzi, Dzeko,  Perotti. Subs: Skorupski, Juan Jesus, Schick, Gonalons, Defrel,  Gerson, El Shaarawy.

Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland) 

heads held high.

Wee man here has got the plum mascot gig!