MX23RW : Friday, April 19 09:45:39| >> :120:6906:6906:
[monks data]
Roma logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 16, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

1-1

Florenzi (31')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Suarez (21')

Rudi Garcia: 'Barcelona not just about Lionel Messi'

Roma boss Rudi Garcia insists that his team do not have a specific plan to stop Barcelona's Lionel Messi in Wednesday's Champions League Group E opener.

Roma boss Rudi Garcia has insisted that his team will not just focus their attention on attempting to stop Barcelona's Lionel Messi in Wednesday's Champions League clash.

Barca, who won their fifth European Cup last season, will travel to Rome to take on the Italian runners-up in their Group E opener tomorrow evening.

Garcia has said that while Messi is a serious threat, the plan to stop the Catalan outfit involves the entire team and not just their dangers in the final third.

"There's no anti-Messi plan, just as there isn't one to stop Luis Suarez or Andres Iniesta," Garcia told reporters.

"You deal with that threat as a team, both in attack and defence. We don't plan on defending for the whole game. We know there will be times when we have to dig in but we also have to use the ball well to give the opposition a problem.

"We're running out of superlatives to describe Messi. He's one of - if not - the best in the world."

The last time that these two teams met in the group stages of the Champions League was back in 2002. The points were shared in a 1-1 draw in Spain, before Roma won 3-0 on their own patch.

ID:246290: cacheID:246290:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2205:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Daniele De Rossi during Italy Training Session at Coverciano on November 14, 2014
Read Next:
De Rossi: 'Enrique struggled in Rome'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
QBayern651016
QCopenhagen62228
3Galatasaray61235
4Man Utd61144

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
QArsenal641113
QPSV62319
3Lens62228
4Sevilla60242

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Madrid660018
QNapoli631210
3Braga61144
4Union Berlin60242

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Sociedad633012
QInter Milan633012
3Benfica61144
4Salzburg61144

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
QAtletico642014
QLazio631210
3Feyenoord62046
4Celtic61144

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
QDortmund632111
QPSG62228
3AC Milan62228
4Newcastle61235

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
QMan City660018
QRB Leipzig640212
3Young Boys61144
4Red Star60151

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
QBarcelona640212
QPorto640212
3Shakhtar63039
4Antwerp61053


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!