Liverpool 5-2 Roma – Reds take huge stride towards reaching Champions League final

Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg
Tuesday 24 April 2018 - 7:45 pm
Anfield
Liverpool5
2Roma
Show Match Events
Oxlade-Chamberlain off, Wijnaldum on ↔️18'
26' Jesus
⚽️ Salah36'
Alexander-Arnold39'
⚽️ Salah45'
46'↔️ Cengiz off, Schick on
⚽️ Mane56'
⚽️ Firmino62'
68'↔️ De Rossi off, Gonalons on
68'↔️ Jesus off, Perotti on
⚽️ Firmino69'
Lovren74'
Salah off, Ings on ↔️75'
81'⚽️ Džeko
Henderson85'
85'⚽️ Perotti
88' Fazio
Firmino off, Klavan on ↔️90'
Possession %
4951
Total Shots
2114
Shots on Target
116
Shots Blocked
43
Offside
53
Hide Match Events

Liverpool took a major step towards reaching the club's first Champions League final in over a decade after a dominant victory over Roma at Anfield.

After a nervy opening 25 minutes, Liverpool sprang into life for the next hour dispatching 5 goals past the hapless Roma side who were left dumbfounded by the reds pace and movement.

Mo Salah (2), Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino (2) were the Liverpool goalscorers during a pulsating spell for which the Italian side had no answers.

A mistake by Dejan Lovren allowed Dzeko to score with 10 minutes remaining before the Italians won a penalty to make the scoreline at the outer edges of respectability.

Roma suffered a 4-1 defeat at Barcelona in the last round before progressing, but although they will have hope - the reds will believe they can score again against this Italian side.

Five changes for Liverpool - five goals

Klopp brought back Lovren, Robertson and Alexander-Arnold to the defence after the 2-2 draw against West Brom, and Firmino and Oxlade Chamberlain also returned to complete the five changes.

But Oxlade-Chamberlain was substituted off after just 15 minutes throwing Liverpool's plans into disarray.  The England man appeared to suffer a knee injury and was stretchered off in a worrying sign for the rest of his season.

Roma started brightly in the Anfield rain and had the first chance of the game, although by the 3rd minute both sides had tested the opposition keeper.

In the middle of the second half, Liverpool's switch turned on and Sadio Mane was guilty of wasting two gilt edged chances supplied by Roberto Firmino.

As it happened: LFC 5-2 Roma

The first he ballooned over the bar on a one v one with the keeper and the second he got totally wrong when he was faced with a chance in the middle of the area.

To add to the sense of foreboding he then had a goal ruled offside, correctly we should add.

But up stepped Mo Salah to put Liverpool ahead.  He fired in a sensational curled strike to the top left hand corner with seemingly all the time in the world.

Just before half time, Firmino held the ball up and timed his pass to perfection - Salah dutifully clipping the ball over the keeper.

In the second half, Salah turned provider as he fed the ball across for Mane to poke home the third.

And deservedly Firmino then went on to collect two simple, for him, goals to add to his sensational season tally.

Switched off

Salah went off to a standing ovation and then Liverpool switched off.

Nainggolan lifted the ball directly into the reds penalty area and Lovren mis-timed his headed clearance allowing Dzeko the opportunity of a one on one which he didn't miss.

And then with five minutes to go a penalty awarded - for a Milner handball.  Peretti stepping up to smash it in and give Roma fans some hope on the night.

A slight dent at the end, but nevertheless a fantastic result for the reds who will fancy their chances at more goals in Rome in eight days time.

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