Klopp expecting Roma to make life tough in semis

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects newly-crowned Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year Mohamed Salah to get a rough ride from his former Roma team-mates.

The 41-goal forward faces his old club for the first time since his £38million move last summer as Anfield hosts the opening leg of their Champions League semi-final - the Reds’ first for a decade.

Italian defenders have a reputation for their uncompromising approach and Klopp alluded to that when discussing Salah’s situation.

But he also thanked the Serie A club for helping make the Egypt international the star he has grown into since arriving in England.

“Players change clubs, managers change clubs - I had it with Dortmund two years ago already,” Klopp said.

“It is a normal game but it feels quite special because you know much more about the team than you usually know, and you are more interested in the other team than you usually are.

“I am pretty sure Mo follows the whole season of Roma as he had a fantastic time there and he became the player there which we have now here, so big credit to all the staff and the players at Roma because they are all part of his development.

“Italian defenders are famous for not having friendly games so I think Mo will feel pretty early in the game they are not his team-mates any more and then he can strike back in a football way.”

Klopp said it was already a special campaign for recordbreaking Salah after his individual award but wanted him to achieve something with the team.

“It’s great but the season is not finished and there are a lot of things to come but I am sure it is a nice boost for him,” the German added.

“In this season when Kevin De Bruyne played the season he played, it makes it even more special.”

This is a semi-final which few predicted at the quarter-final stage. Liverpool overcame runaway Premier League champions Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate, while Roma sprang an even greater surprise by overturning a 4-1 deficit to eliminate Barcelona on away goals with a 3-0 win.