The Champions League quarter-finals resume on Tuesday, with Liverpool and Barcelona primed to book their places in the final four.
Liverpool take a 3-0 advantage over Manchester City to the Etihad Stadium, while Barca head to the Stadio Olimpico with a comfortable 4-1 cushion in their tie with Roma.
If they are to progress, City will need to replicate a feat only two sides have pulled off in the competition s history but the Reds appear to have become their bogey team this season.
Lionel Messi has scored 100 goals in the Champions League, but his rather poor record on Italian soil is one of the surprising Opta stats we have picked out to preview Tuesday s matches.
FIXTURES
Which four are you backing to reach the semi-finals?
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Manchester City v Liverpool
Only two teams in Champions League history have overturned a deficit of three or more goals from the first leg in the knockout stages Deportivo La Coruna versus AC Milan in 2003-04 and Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain last season.
City won their home league game against Liverpool 5-0 this season – their only victory in their last nine matches against them in all competition (D2 L6).
Four of the six previous teams to have eliminated a side managed by Pep Guardiola in the Champions League have gone on to win the trophy, with the exceptions being Atletico Madrid in 2015-16 and Monaco in 2016-17.
Liverpool could become the first team to beat City three times in the same season since Manchester United in 2009-10.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last five Champions League away games (W2 D3). They last went six without defeat on the road in the competition between March and December in 2005, during which time they won the trophy.
We will run, we will fight, we will give everything for and for you. With your support, we know we can do it! Let’s overcome this challenge and make tomorrow an unforgettable night for all of us! C’mon City!!!
— Bernardo Silva (@BernardoCSilva)
Roma v Barcelona
Roma have never lost at home versus Barca (W1 D1). That one win was a 3-0 victory in February 2002, a result that would see them through here.
However, Barca have won their last two against Roma, by an aggregate score of 10-2.
The Catalan giants have not won any of their last six Champions League away games against Italian sides (D4 L2), last triumphing against AC Milan (3-2) in November 2011.
Edin Dzeko has either scored (five) or assisted (two) seven of Roma s 12 Champions League goals this season (58 per cent). However, only two of these (one goal, one assist) have come in home games.
Lionel Messi has scored just two goals in his nine Champions League away games versus Italian sides, with both of them coming against Milan (November 2011 and October 2013).
Ernesto Valverde: The tie is still to be decided, we have a favourable score but we have to play as if it was 0-0. Roma will have to take risks and we will have to be strong to get through
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
