Roma and their secret weapon want to shake Barça Women

BarcelonaBarça start a heart attack week in Rome. The Blaugrana face the decisive stretch of the season with three head-to-head duels. Roma, with the eternal ex-Blaugrana captain Vicky Losada at the helm, will look to surprise in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The tie, a double game, will begin on Italian soil this Tuesday (9 p.m., DAZN) and will be decided on Wednesday, March 29 at a Camp Nou that will be dressed up for the big event. In between, however, the Blaugrana will not have a break: Real Madrid will visit them at Johan Cruyff next Saturday.

The Champions League anthem plays again after many months. Jonatan Giráldez’s team reached the quarter-finals after an almost impeccable group stage and put the icing on the cake with a benevolent draw. Roma, leader of Serie A, was the most affordable team that could play the Blaugrana – the other two possible rivals were PSG and Olympique de Lyon. Now, despite the fact that the culers are favorites, the Italians have a secret weapon: Vicky Losada.

The Catalan has traveled to Rome this season. After his experience during two years in the Premier League with Manchester City, the one from Terrassa decided to change airs. Few people know better how Barça works and plays than Losada. For twelve seasons – in four different stages – the Catalan defense had a box office in the culer dressing room. In fact, she was the captain the season the Blaugrana lifted the treble. The same year he decided to leave the club.

“You can never close a tie in the first leg”

From Rome, he sees things differently. In the Italian team, the pressure is very different: there is no obligation to beat Barça, as they are aware of the level of respect, but there is the illusion of playing a good role in the Champions League. “We have seen many Roma games, in different formats and scenarios. It is a team that tends to have more of the ball than the opponents, but knows how to defend at different heights. We tend to have the initiative. It will be very important to detect what pressure the Rome”, said Giráldez in the preview.

For the first time in history, the Roma team and Barça will see each other. For the occasion, the Italian organization will open the doors of the Olympic Stadium (where more than 35,000 tickets have already been sold). The second leg will be played at the Camp Nou, which already knows how to fill the stadium in Champions League matches. Two dream scenarios for two category clashes. “It’s a privilege to see these games in these stadiums. We all know that we have to take these small steps to reach equality, so I’m happy for this fact”, celebrated Barça player Salma Paralluelo.