5 reasons Roma can win the Champions League

4. A powerful midfield

When they were at the height of their power, Barcelona’s biggest strength was in midfield. Ultimately, the success or failure of tiki-taka depended on controlling the midfield. Few clubs were as good at consistently overpowering the center of the pitch as the Blaugrana of the Pep Guardiola years.

But as time passes and the core of the glory years ages out, the midfield’s powers have waned. Roma exploited that fact by employing their own dominant midfield. The Italian side looked far stronger than the Spanish side in the middle in both legs of their quarterfinal encounter.

In the first leg, the team was without catalyst Radja Nainggolan due to an injury. Nainggolan was back for the second leg, however, bolstering an already-strong midfield even further. Eusebio Di Francisco used a 3-5-2, putting extra emphasis on the midfield’s role as the driver of the offense.

Players like Daniele de Rossi, Kevin Strootman and wing-back Aleksandar Kolarov fortify the center of the pitch. De Rossi offered up the critical second goal on a penalty, and he will enter the semifinals with a lot of confidence.

While they don’t have the depth of firepower of the other three clubs in the semifinals, Roma have a group of midfielders that combine to rival anything their opponents might bring to the table. Nobody left in the Champions League is going to intimidate the Romans through the middle of the pitch.