Red alert for Roma
Time for Salah to deliver on the big stage for 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 Real, 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. Much of the talk ahead of today’s match between the two surprising teams in this season’s competition has centred on Mohammad Salah, Liverpool’s prolific forward who joined from Roma in June.
Salah has scored 41 goals in all competitions — eight of which have come in the Champions League — and on Sunday was voted English football’s Player of the Year. “We’ve warned him not to do anything special or he’ll be for it,” said Roma right back 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.” Liverpool had to come through a play-off round in August to reach the group stages and are the only unbeaten team in the Champions League. They are also the competition’s topscoring team with 33 goals, five coming against Manchester City in the quarter-finals.
Anfield can be an intimidating fortress for Liverpool in Europe. They can destroy opponents in quick bursts chiefly via their 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.
They warmed up for the Anfield test with a comfortable 3-0 win at SPAL in Serie A on Saturday.
“The performance was excellent,” said Di Francesco. “The team’s attitude three days before such an important match with Liverpool is an important step in the right direction. This is a side that has great goals in its head, a team that looks at the present and not the future, and it’s a moment of great satisfaction for me.
A hard worker
“Of course, against Liverpool this precision and solidity we must have from the beginning.” Di Francesco never had a chance to work with Salah. If there is any regret at missing out on the chance to coach such a talent, then he hides it well, though he does note his players’ praise for “a great guy, a great professional, a hard worker”.
“I don’t need them to tell me,” he told The Guardian when asked if he has sought out advice from his defenders on how best to frustrate Salah. “His qualities are very clear. Don’t forget that I prepared games against him in Italy, too. But the fact lots of our players know him well, that can be an advantage.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp yesterday warned the club’s fans not to repeat the scenes that saw windows of Manchester City’s team bus smashed by thrown cans and bottles ahead of the quarterfinal first leg at Anfield.
Klopp wants to retain the passion inside the stadium without the ugly scenes outside the ground which are the subject of a Uefa investigation.
“In the stadium do it again and better. Outside the stadium, please show the respect we have to show,” Klopp said.
“This is such an outstanding football club, an outstanding football family, known for fantastic atmospheres all over the world, so we don’t need to throw whatever at the bus of the opposing team.
“If we can do what we did creating an atmosphere in front of the stadium, let’s do it but please show the respect they deserve.”
Tomorrow’s clash is no less mouthwatering. Spanish representation in the semi-finals has been cut to one team for the first time since 2010. The fact that team is Real Madrid isn’t a surprise. Seeking a record-extending 13th European title, real are in the semi-finals for the eighth straight year and are meeting Bayern at this stage for the seventh time in the competition’s history. The most recent was 2014, when real won home and away against a team coached by Pep Guardiola.
First retirement
Now the German team is coached by Jupp Heynckes, who led Bayern to the title in 2013 before his first retirement. Heynckes came back in October to rescue Bayern after their faltering start to the season led to Carlo Ancelotti’s departure and Heynckes has already said he will not be staying on beyond this season.
Zinedine Zidane should be able to count on all his firstchoice players and must decide whether to start playmaker Isco or winger Gareth Bale up front with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Ronaldo will be seeking to continue his incredible scoring run after having scored in all 10 matches in the competition this campaign for a total of 15 goals.
Jerome Boateng says only a defensive team effort can prevent Ronaldo adding to his mind-blowing tally of nine goals in six games against Bayern.
This is such an outstanding football club, an outstanding football family, known for fantastic atmospheres all over the world.”
Jurgen Klopp » Liverpool
manager