Eusebio Di Francesco has urged his Roma players to give their all as they attempt to âdo the unthinkableâ and eliminate the Barcelona âmachineâ from the Champions League.
Edin Dzekoâs late away goal in a 4-1 first-leg defeat at the Nou Camp could prove key as the Serie A club vie to reach the semi-finals at the expense of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and company.
Their preparation for Tuesday nightâs showdown at the Stadio Olimpico was not ideal as they lost 2-0 at home to Fiorentina at the weekend, but head coach Di Francesco did manage to rest some key players.
Ahead of the return leg he also teased the return to contention of several wild-card options, including Cengiz Under, the young Turk whose scoring streak was interrupted by an injury last month.
Whoever plays, Di Francesco is demanding Barca are faced down with âpassion, heart and beliefâ.
He said at a pre-match press conference: âWe must always play at our best for this shirt, even more so in this game since we have to overturn the scoreline from the first leg.
âThe crowd will be our 12th man, but itâs up to us to get them going.
âWeâll play our strongest line-up against Barcelona. We must play with passion, heart and belief right up until the final whistle if we want to do the unthinkable.
âWe have a duty to give it everything.â
A 3-0 triumph would suffice for the Giallorossi, and they have already subjected a European giant to that treatment this season.
Chelsea arrived in Rome as the reigning English Premier League champions in October, but they lost badly.
âWe have to believe we can pull off this feat,â added Di Francesco. âWe must have the right attitude, like we did against Chelsea.
âWeâre up against a machine, theyâve only lost once. Barcaâs strength has been built over many years, itâs not happened overnight.
â(Patrik) Schick might play tomorrow, because heâs got an eye for goal. Weâll assess Cengiz (Under) today â if everythingâs fine, heâll be in the squad. (Diego) Perotti is definitely ruled out.
âWe hope to have him back for the derby, but itâs a long shot.â
Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has no choice but to play a defensive role in the Eternal City.
But the German expects his team-mates to pursue the goal that will take away Romaâs leverage.
He said: âWe have an advantage that we must defend. However, we will have to give them a good match to make progress in the Champions League. Roma have a lot of quality.
âWe have a system that means we always have our best players available and that helps us in big matches.â