Valencia CF08 March 2020

Florenzi's part in one of the Champions League's greatest comebacks

The defender was on the AS Roma team that knocked out FC Barcelona -against all odds- two seasons ago

April 10th, 2018, has gone down in history as the date of one of the most spectacular comebacks in Champions League history, when AS Roma took on FC Barcelona in the second leg of their quarter final tie. After a 4-1 result in favour of the Spanish club at the Camp Nou, the Italians fought back against the odds to win 3-0 and progress to the semi finals.

Valencia CF fans will not need reminding of the parallels to their situation this week, as they have to overturn an identical result at Mestalla on Tuesday. There is another connection, of course: Alessandro Florenzi.

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The Italian was part of that AS Roma side, and he remembers the game as "The perfect match, from the first minute to the 90th." Goals from Dzeko, De Rossi and Manolas -the latter two in the second half- took Florenzi and his teammates through on away goals.

"It was fantastic," the defender recalled to VCF Media, and he admits that the turnaround has come up in conversation amongst the players in recent days.

 

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There is also an eye for revenge as motivation for Florenzi, who met Atalanta in Serie A earlier this season in a losing effort. He has goalscoring form against them too, finding the net last season to equalise in a game that Roma would lose 1-3.

Florenzi's experiences give hope to Valencia CF, who know that anything is possible on a magical European night.

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