As it happened: Roma 4-2 Liverpool (7-6 for LFC on aggregate)

Champions League Semi Final 2nd Leg
Wednesday 02 May 2018 - 7:45 pm
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Roma4
2Liverpool
Show Match Events
9'Mane ⚽️
⚽️ own goal15'
26'Wijnaldum ⚽️
44' Lovren
⚽️ Džeko52'
Pellegrini off, Cengiz on ↔️55'
De Rossi off, Gonalons on ↔️70'
El Shaarawy off, Antonucci on ↔️75'
83'↔️ Mane off, Klavan on
Manolas86'
⚽️ Nainggolan86'
87'↔️ Firmino off, Solanke on
⚽️ Nainggolan90'
90' Solanke
Possession %
5941
Total Shots
2411
Shots on Target
65
Shots Blocked
35
Offside
35
Hide Match Events

Liverpool are in Rome with a 5-2 first leg advantage but Roma have already staged a second leg comeback to knock Barcelona out.

With home advantage the Italian side will be looking to hit back at the reds early, a 3-0 win for Roma would see them through to the final to face Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, the reds are playing their 10th semi-final and looking to make it to an 8th final.

Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino both have 10 goals in the competition whilst Sadio Mane isn't far behind with 8 strikes.

For Roma, Edin Dzeko is their main man.

Strap yourselves in.

As it happened...

18:32 UK
Confirmed LFC Team

Sadio Mane returns to the Liverpool line-up

Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn.

18:35 UK
Tonight's opponents

19:06 UK

Liverpool have sold their allocation of 5,000 tickets for tonight's game in Rome.  There is expected to be a crowd of 70,000 in the Stadio Olimpico this evening.

19:09 UK

Stadium already has thousands inside, and Liverpool make their way on to the pitch as part of the warm up.

Loud boos from the Roma fans but plenty of Liverpool fans are also in the stadium and Jordan Henderson acknowledges their chants.

It's going to be an atmosphere!

19:27 UK
Time fast approaching

20 minutes until kick off.

Liverpool have been training in their black training tops, and Mo Salah entered the field to a wry smile as he looked around his former club's stadium.

Will he play a pivotal role in this tie?

19:34 UK

Been some farcical scenes outside the ground with 5,000 Liverpool fans expected to enter via just three turnstiles. 

Majority of LFC fans now inside the stadium.

19:43 UK

Teams are out...

19:46 UK
KICK OFF

WE 
ARE 
UNDERWAY!

19:52 UK

6' Dzeko had done well near the touchline to hold off the Liverpool defence.  He sends it across the face of goal...

... but nobody there.

19:56 UK
GOAL!!

9' YERSE

SADIO MANE picks up the weighted pass by Roberto Firmino and fires it in.

Liverpool ahead!

19:57 UK

11' Nainggolan, linked with Man Utd this week, balloons it over the Liverpool crossbar.

20:01 UK
Goal

15' Total mishit in the reds area and it bounces off James Milner into the Liverpool net.  Lucky barstewards.

1-1.

20:06 UK

20' Roma targeting Dejan Lovren's side of central defence with all their balls in to the edge of the area.

It was his clearance that hit Milner for the own goal and now Schick gives him a slight push inside the penalty area.

20:11 UK

25' Robertson with a steaming run down the wing - gets in the area.

Crosses to Mane and the keeper tips it wide for a corner.

20:12 UK
GOAL

26' IT'S HIS FIRST EVER LFC AWAY GOAL!

Gini Wijnaldum heads it in.

20:20 UK

33' It's a good challenge by Alexander-Arnold on Liverpool's touchline and he manages to win the reds a goal kick off the Roma forward.

20:21 UK
Deflected shot

35' It's off the post for Roma.  El Shaarawi shot at the edge of the box is deflected off Milner, wrong footing Karius, but it hits the post.

20:23 UK

37' Good solid punch for Karius from a cross but he took a bit of time to get back up after it.  Well done Loris.

20:30 UK
Yellow card

44' That's a yellow card for Dejan Lovren for holding off El Shaarawy at the very side edge of the penalty area.

Free kick to Roma.

20:31 UK

Pellegrini ballons his free kick

20:33 UK
HALF TIME

Wonderful half from the reds.

2-1 up.  That's 7-3 on aggregate.

20:48 UK
SECOND HALF

Let's get this job completed now.

20:49 UK

46' Mo Salah flagged offside as he was bearing down on a one on one.  That was a very close decision.

20:53 UK

49' Edin Dzeko incorrectly flagged offside just seconds before he's brought down by Karius.

Let off for Liverpool.

20:56 UK
Goal

52' Edin Dzeko grabs a goal back.  Error by Alexander-Arnold allowed the winger to bypass him.  Dzeko with his 8th goal of the competition.

20:57 UK
Substitute

55' Roma make a tactical change.  Cengiz Under brought on for Pellegrini.

Three more goals required for Roma to force extra-time.

20:57 UK

56' Mane with a powerful run, it finds Robertson who drills across the face of goal but Salah is a yard or two short of reaching it.

20:58 UK

56' Free kick to Roma at the corner of the box.  Alexander-Arnold adjudged to have fouled Dzeko.

20:59 UK

Kolarov corner sent in, Dzeko gets his head to it but it goes wide for a goal kick.

21:04 UK
Great save

60' Long ball by Roma from de Rossi, and Under is ahead of Robertson and hits it first time.  Good stop from close range by Karius.

21:05 UK

21:06 UK
Liverpool living on the edge

63' Ball bobbles over in the Liverpool area and El Shaarawy shoots but defender by Alexander-Arnold.  It hit his hand, admittedly from about 2 yards.

21:09 UK

66' Kolarov drills one and Karius called into action again.  Moment later Dzeko beats the offside trap and puts the ball wide.  Liverpool players were waiting for the flag to be raised.

21:14 UK
Roma sub

70' Gonalons is on for de Rossi.  Liverpool yet to make a sub although they do have players warming up on the touchline.

21:14 UK

71' Dzeko holds up the ball and Gonalons is running in at the edge of the area and smashes it over the bar.

Roma have enjoyed a little spell there of threat but it appears to have eased a bit now.

21:17 UK

Liverpool stroking the ball around the pitch now. 

21:18 UK
Final Roma Sub

75' El Shaarawy goes off and on comes Antonucci.  

21:24 UK
10 minutes to go

80' Dejan Lovren called into action to help clear the ball.

Surely too much for Roma to do now.  They are leaving even more gaps at the back now.

Reds about to make a change.

21:26 UK
LFC Sub

83' Klavan is on to replace the excellent Sadio Mane.

21:28 UK

85' Liverpool fans feeling confident enough now for a rending of 'We Shall not be moved!'

21:30 UK
Goal

86' Uh oh.  Roma's Nainggolan has space at the edge of the area and he smashes it in off the post.

It's 3-2 now to Roma (5-7).  

LFC Sub - Firmino off and Solanke on.

21:33 UK
3 minutes added time

Not long to go

21:36 UK
Penalty

Penalty to Roma. 

Klavan handball.

21:37 UK
Goal

90+3 And Nainggolan scores from the spot.

4-2 to Roma.

21:38 UK
FULL TIME

WE'RE IN TO THE FINAL!

Got a little bit interesting in that second half but Liverpool head to Kiev to face Real Madrid.

Ends 7-6 on aggregate.

21:42 UK

Henderson: 'Amazing effort. We knew it would be tough.  Could have been more clinical.  Didn't handle the last ten minutes well - we need to stop that but overall delighted to reach the final.'

21:46 UK

Robertson: 'What a thing to be involved with.  All the lads and the fans deserve it. We'll enjoy this tonight and think about (Real Madrid) later'

22:08 UK
Thanks for joining us

Wow.  An eighth European Cup final for Liverpool incoming.

It's been a terrific campaign that started back in the 3rd qualifying round in August.

Next up for the reds is a game against Chelsea were they can ensure that they are definitely in this competition next season.

Stay tuned...



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