WATCH: Roma Own Goals, Pique, Suarez Boost Barcelona in UCL Quarterfinal 1st Leg
Barcelona was already favored to advance to the Champions League semifinals, but it got all the help it could have wanted from Roma in the first leg of their quarterfinal.
Two own goals helped Barcelona to a 4-1 win at Camp Nou, with Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez also scoring for the hosts on Wednesday. Edin Dzeko had given Roma some brief hope with an 80th-minute away goal, but Suarez's finish restored the three-goal edge that Barcelona will take to Rome next week for the second leg.
The result was a bit harsh in many ways for Roma, which fired a warning shot in the opening minute with a dangerous cross sent in toward the goal mouth, but Nelson Semedo's last-ditch defending cleared the danger.
Barcelona had difficulty stamping its authority on the match after that, with Roma's high pressure causing problems for Barcelona in possession–though Suarez did have a goal ruled out for offside in the seventh minute.
Roma thought it had won a penalty a couple of minutes later, when Dzeko, sandwiched by Pique and Semedo, went down after apparent contact from behind, but no call was given, the referee perhaps thinking that the Bosnian made way more of the slight contact there appeared to be.
Lionel Messi forced his first save on Barcelona's next foray down the field. He carved out some space about 25 yards out, testing goalkeeper Alisson Becker with a blast from distance that the Brazilian parried forward and pounced on, as to not give up an easy chance off the rebound.
Barcelona nearly broke through on a fluke play in the 18th minute. Off an Ivan Rakitic corner, a pair of Roma defenders collided, allowing Rakitic to race from the corner to the loose ball. He curled in a low chance that hit off the far post, and Suarez over-hit the rebound to end the threat.
Barcelona threatened again in the 28th minute, when Messi's back-heel played Suarez in down the left. He forced Alisson into parrying his cross/shot almost into the path of Sergi Roberto, but it was just wayward enough to prevent a clear look on the rebound.
Barcelona's breakthrough finally came in the 38th minute. Andres Iniesta tried to slide a pass to Messi at the top of the box, and Daniele De Rossi slid to defend it, inadvertently striking it into his own goal.
Roma had a golden chance to equalize seconds into the second half. Alessandro Florenzi floated a perfect cross to the far post, where Diego Perotti, in traffic, put his clean header wide of the mark.
Barcelona benefited from yet another own goal to double its lead. Rakitic fired in a cross from the right, with Samuel Umtiti making a darting near-post run. The ball took a pair of deflections, the final one coming off Kostas Manolas's knee to make it 2-0 in the 55th minute.
A few minutes later, Barcelona finally scored one on its own. Messi curved a perfect cross for Suarez, who fired in on goal. Alisson made the save, but allowed a rebound to trickle right to Gerard Pique, who tapped home to make it 3-0.
The frustration continued for Roma in the final quarter of an hour. Marc Andre ter-Stegen was called into action on a pair of occasions, the first a sprawling recovery save after Roma was gifted with an open net, the second on a blast from De Rossi.
Roma finally got its goal in the 80th minute. Dzeko gained position six yards out from goal, and he settled a cross from Perotti before putting it by ter Stegen to make it 3-1 and give Roma a precious away goal.
That lifeline didn't last very long for Roma. Suarez hooked home a close-range finish in the 87th minute after sloppy play in the back, restoring Barcelona's three-goal edge and making it 4-1.
Here were the lineups for both teams:
The second leg of the series takes place Tuesday, April 10, at Roma's Stadio Olimpico.
