Liverpool may have lost a match in Rome but they punched their ticket to the Champions League final.
Roma responded with a brave but broken performance for their home supporters, beating the Reds 4-2 but faltering 6-7 on aggregate
Despite any pre-match concerns, Liverpool scored twice in the Stadio Olimpico, the first goals conceded there in this year’s competition, and easily ensured advancement.
It made the lead insurmountable, regardless of Roma’s revival. In fact, while the scoreline might suggest otherwise, Liverpool’s advancement was never really in doubt.
Roma put on a show for their home crowd but it was never going to be enough. While Liverpool got a little careless at both ends after scoring their pair, they could afford to be.
They should have put the match even further out of reach before halftime. Still, the storm had already been weathered. The home side’s second-half effort left everything too little too late and the Reds knew it. Another late penalty might have rattled some nerves but minutes had become seconds.
Liverpool are back among Europe’s elite. Their only loss in the competition was in a game that barely mattered. Now the Reds can look to repeat their 1981 feat when they surpassed the Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Here are four findings from the match.
