Eyes on Salah in fortress Anfield
LIVERPOOL: The Champions League is down to the semi-finals — and clubs from Europe’s four biggest football nations still have a shot at the title.
For the first time since 1981, teams from Spain (Real Madrid), England (Liverpool), Italy (Roma) and Germany (Bayern Munich) make up the last four of Europe’s elite club competition.
Three of them are aristocrats of the continent, with Madrid, Bayern and Liverpool having won the competition 22 times between them.
Roma have never been European champions but cannot be discounted after their historic comeback against Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
The Italians won 3-0 at home to overturn a 4-1 deficit.
Much of the talk ahead of today’s semifinal first leg between Liverpool and Roma has centred on Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, the Reds’ prolific forward who joined from Roma in June in a €42 million transfer.
Salah has scored 41 goals in all competitions — eight of which have come in the Champions League — and on Sunday was named the player of the year by England’s Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
“We’ve warned him not to do anything special or he’ll be for it!’’ said Roma rightback Bruno Peres. “Before the match, we’re not thinking about friendship, after it, yes. We know what he’s capable of and we know he’s in brilliant form.’’
Roma hold a special place in the hearts of those associated with Liverpool.
The English club won the first of their five European titles in Rome in 1977, and got their fourth seven years later by beating Roma in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.
That was the only other season in which the Italian club advanced as far as the semifinals. Liverpool last got this far in 2008.
Liverpool came through the play-off round in August and are the only unbeaten team in the Champions League this term.
It is also the competition’s top-scoring team with 33 goals, five coming against Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
Anfield can be an intimidating fortress for Liverpool in Europe, starting with the pre-match “welcome’’ of the visiting team bus through the narrow streets outside the stadium.
Liverpool can destroy opponents in quick bursts chiefly via its attacking trio of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Yet Roma are full of confidence after a stunning 3-0 victory over Barcelona that saw the team reach the semi-finals on away goals.
FIXTURES
Semi-final first legs
(kick-offs 1.45am Thai time) Today: Liverpool v Roma
Tomorrow: Bayern Munich v Real Madrid