Roma set sights on quarter-finals

ROMA go into their Champions League match with Arsenal tonight knowing only victory will do if they want to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Their 3-0 win at the Mestalla stadium against Valencia two weeks ago has given the Serie A side a glimmer of hope, despite the fact they are still languishing at the bottom of Group B.

The three points earned in Spain mean they are just two adrift of the Spanish side and a win over Arsenal would see them draw level on points with the Premiership champions.

And following their disastrous January, Roma have shown they can come good when the pressure is on.

Captain Francesco Totti has overcome the flu and will be fundamental to their success. He will start, probably alongside Antonio Cassano who scored the equaliser against Lazio, at the heart of the Roma attack.

Vincenzo Montella, who received a knock to his right knee during that derby clash, is set to start on the bench.

Defender Jonathan Zebina has been ruled out after suffering an injury to his right thigh, Greece’s Traianos Dellas is also absent with injury, and defence-minded midfielder Olivier Dacourt is unavailable after playing for Leeds, from whom he is on loan, in Europe.

That means Brazilian Aldair is set to take Zebina’s place despite not training with the team in the build-up. He will play alongside Christian Panucci, Walter Samuel and Vincent Candela in a four-man defence.

In the four-man midfield, Brazilian Cafu will accompany Emerson, Damiano Tommasi and Francisco Lima, who takes Marco Delvecchio’s place.

Roma coach Fabio Capello is fearing more hat-trick havoc from Arsenal’s Thierry Henry.

The veteran Italian coach admits he has had to go back to the drawing board to find a method of stopping Henry, following the French striker’s treble which clinched a 3-1 win for the Gunners in Rome when the teams last met in November.