Liverpool continued their fine form in Europe this season as their first semi-final appearance in a decade ended in victory against AS Roma.
The Italian side did well to pressure the Reds in the opening exchanges, but it quickly became a spectacle for Liverpool fans as Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino scored two apiece, with Sadio Mané also chipping in with a goal.
Roma did well to get a goal back through former Man City striker Edin Dzeko, before adding a second through a rather fortuitous penalty after a James Milner handball.
Liverpool will travel to the Italian capital next week with a 5-2 lead to preserve, and with every opportunity to add to their total in the Eternal City.
Here’s how we rated the Reds:
Loris Karius – 6
Misjudged the flight of Aleksander Kolarov’s knuckleball early in the first half, but still managed to tip it on to the bar. Came out well for Dzeko’s goal, but the Bosnian striker finished well. Mopped up possession effectively, and was generally proactive with his distribution.
Trent Alexander-Arnold – 7.5
Completely unflappable in possession. His center-midfield skillset allows Liverpool to play down the right flank in an exhilarating fashion, often bypassing opposing wingers and midfielders and isolating Mohamed Salah with his fullback. The young Scouser dealt with Roma’s formation well, often having to occupy space to force Florenzi and Dzeko inside. A very solid performance.
Dejan Lovren – 5.5
Hit the bar in the 38th minute with a header when he really should have scored and was at fault for Dzeko’s goal when he misjudged the flight of the ball. A typical Lovren performance: solid and reliable until he wasn’t.
Virgil van Dijk – 7
The highest compliment that can be given to van Dijk is how Dzeko, an accomplished target man, spent most of his time in the left channel to try and avoid the giant Dutch centre-back.
Andrew Robertson – 6
Had a quiet match by his lofty standards. Worked hard in and out of possession, but didn’t have the influence that he usually exhibits. Did have the assist for Sadio Mané’s disallowed goal in the first half.
Jordan Henderson – 9
Possibly Henderson’s best game for the Reds. He was exceptional all night; winning his battles with Roma’s Radja Nainngolan, tracking runners and stopping them dead, and playing lovely first-time passes into the channels, this was a true captain’s performance.
James Milner – 8
Milner’s assist for Liverpool’s fifth goal brought his tally to nine for the campaign: a new Champions League record. The Englishman’s best work came in the trenches, however. In addition to his expansive repertoire of passes, he was tireless in his pressing, harrying and hacking away at his Italian counterparts all night. Was harshly judged to have handled the ball in the Liverpool area late in the match and was punished by conceding a penalty.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – N/A
Withdrawn early in the first half with what looks to be a serious knee injury.
Sadio Mané – 7.5
Had an incredibly eventful first half, spurning two chances (one glorious, the other difficult) before putting the ball in the net from an (unfortunately) offside position. Did not let these misses affect his game, however, and continued to buzz around the Roma back three, causing panic whenever he picked up the football. Eventually rewarded for his sterling effort with a well-worked goal following a splendid run and cross from Salah out wide on the right.
Roberto Firmino – 9
Played the part of il conduttore in the first half, creating chance after chance for his Liverpool teammates, culminating in two assists for Mohamed Salah. If his first assist was nothing to shout about (Salah did all of the heavy lifting, let’s be honest!), the second encapsulated his performances as Liverpool’s number nine this season: good hold up play followed by a slide-rule pass which led to Salah’s second of the game.
Firmino turned goal-scorer in the second half, finishing well from a Mo Salah cross and heading Liverpool into a 5-0 lead following a Milner corner kick. The Brazilian has been lights out this season in Europe and his ninth and tenth goals of the campaign mean that he has equalled the record as the fastest player to reach 10 goals in the Champions League (11 games).
Mohamed Salah – 10
What is there left to say about Mohamed Salah!? Two remarkable goals and two terrific assists for the Egyptian. The PFA Player of the Year continued his inexorable march to greatness with another stunning display in Europe.
Withdrawn in the 75th minute for Danny Ings.
Substitutes
Georginio Wijnaldum (18′) – Performed quite well, considering the circumstances of his introduction to the match. Played some lovely creative passes and occupied the right half-space perfectly. The only blemish on his performance was his miss in front of goal to make it 6-1 and truly end the tie.
Danny Ings (75′) – Came on as a like-for-like replacement for Salah. Worked hard, but did not occupy the Roma back-line like the Egyptian, allowing the Italian side a way back into the tie.
Ragnar Klavan (90+3′) – N/A
