Liverpool are heading to Kiev for the Champions League final while Roma are left to reflect on the fact they conceded seven goals in 115 minutes during their two-legged semi-final.
Roma threw the kitchen sink at Liverpool in the second leg of their last four clash and scored four goals. The only problem was, and it was a big one for a side that lost the first leg 5-2, they shipped two more goals and lost 7-6 on aggregate.
Following the game, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to the Italians’ “brave” football. He commented:
“I have to start, and it’s easy to do so, with a big compliment for Roma – what a brave performance, what a comeback, what a brave football game. It was clear they would take the risk they took and we punished it with the first goal in a perfect way.”
That first goal was scored by Sadio Mané while Liverpool had a second before half-time when Gigi Wijnaldum took advantage of a poor clearance to head home.
Former Roma winger Mo Salah was kept off the score-sheet for the second game running – Stoke shut him out in a league encounter at Anfield – but he ran himself to a stand-still to harry the Italian defence and make sure they did not get out of their own half without some exertion.
Following the game, Salah applauded all sides of the ground as he thanked both Roma supporters and the boisterous away section full of Liverpool fans.
Roma’s official, English-speaking Twitter account repaid the love soon after the final whistle by sending out this class message:
It hurts so much that #ASRoma’s incredible dream of going all the way to Kiev is over but you’ll be there in your new colours.
Good luck in the #UCL final @MoSalah#ForzaRoma #YNWA pic.twitter.com/BOsVgoKLjI
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) May 2, 2018
Dreams dashed for another year but one suspects many Roma supporters will be keeping half an eye on how Salah gets on against Real Madrid in the final.
