It was a night in Rome, where a new star was born but marred by the same old problems of the past. That was the general feeling of how the game panned out for AS Roma in their last-16 clash with FC Porto.
Roma entered the tie against the Portuguese giants fancying their chances however struggled for a breakthrough as their forwards failed to fashion any clear cut opening and adding to the tension surrounding beleaguered boss, Eusebio Di Francesco. To the Giallorossi's credit, however, a different narrative would soon emerge in the second half as teenage sensation Nicolo Zaniolo scored a brace in the space of six minutes to secure Roma's first win against Porto in a competitive match.
Zaniolo has been a revelation for Roma this season and has been one of their bright sparks in what can be described as a dark season laden with difficult moments. And while it is only natural that he grabs the headlines as after all he is the youngest ever Italian player to score two goals in a single Champions League match, Di Francesco will be more worried about the defensive lapse his team suffered which has altered the complexion of this tie.
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It was a case of classic Roma, as they found a way to make life difficult for themselves. Yes, it can be argued that Adrian Lopez's goal came off the back of a slice of fortune but then again you make your own luck and Sergio Conceicao's men certainly did that. Indeed, Conceicao; who had been in a testy mood throughout the encounter boldly claimed that his side will go through to the quarter-finals after the match, and one can't fault him for such confidence due to Roma's knack of shooting themselves in the foot.
Di Francesco will fully know that this tie is far from over and come the 2nd leg at Portugal, his team will vastly need to improve especially in defence and not allow lapses of concentration to be their downfall. Qualification to the next stage of the Champions League is vital for the Italians as it brings them much needed revenue and impetus to hold on to their brightest stars, thus adding to the importance of the game. A positive thing to note is that the Lupi's destiny is in their own hands, however, one moment of lapse can see it be snatched by Porto.