How should Barcelona line up against Roma?

The Champions League is back on Wednesday night as Barcelona take on Roma in the first leg of their quarter-final clash.

It’s a crucial game for Barca who will need to play a lot better than they did against Sevilla on Saturday if they are to take a good result to the Italian capital.

Let’s have a look at who Ernesto Valverde should be picking for the game...

Defence

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Valverde has a decision to make at right-back with Nelson Semedo fit again and Sergi Roberto a yellow card away from a suspension. The Barca boss has shown this season he’s not afraid to select players at risk of a ban so expect Roberto to start.

The rest of the defence picks itself with Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti in the middle, Jordi Alba at left-back and Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal.

Midfield

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Into midfield and hopefully Sergio Busquets will be fit enough to make his return from injury. He has not played since the win over Chelsea but was back in training on Monday.

He should partner Ivan Rakitic at the heart of the Barca midfield with Andres Iniesta on the left and potentially Ousmane Dembele on the right.

Dembele was ineffective against Sevilla and if Valverde decides to be more pragmatic he could opt to start Paulinho or Andre Gomes in midfield instead.

Attack

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The big question in attack is whether Lionel Messi will start, after only appearing as a substitute against Sevilla amid ongoing fitness concerns

For a game of this importance it would be a surprise if Messi didn’t start and if all is going well, he may get an early bath.

Luis Suarez is the final name in our starting lineup. The Uruguayan was on target against Sevilla with his 25th goal of the season but rather incredibly hasn’t scored in the Champions League yet this season. This would be a good time to start.

Possible lineup: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba; Dembele, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Suarez.

How do you think Barcelona should line up against Roma? Let us know your thoughts and team selections in the comments below!