Liverpool 5-2 AS Roma: 3 key battles that decided the game

Liverpool continued their marauding run in this year's UEFA Champions League and moved one step closer to the final in Kiev, as they thrashed AS Roma 5-2 at home - thanks to the usual suspects Salah, Mane and Firmino.

However, the tie is far from over. Roma will only have to repeat what they did to Barcelona in the previous round at the same stadium - beat Liverpool 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico and they can be the ones packing their bags to Ukraine.

As usual, there were a few individual battles that went a long way in ultimately deciding the result of the fixture. Here's a look at 3 such battles that had a say in the final outcome of the game:

#1 Mohamed Salah vs Juan Jesus

Mohamed Salah once again was the star of the Liverpool show

Any signs of loyalty Mohamed Salah had towards his former side were set aside, and were exhibited only when he raised his arms in apology after scoring not once but twice against the Romans.

The fixture had always been touted as such - a battle between the Egyptian and his previous employers and Salah showed just why it was true. After a mundane showing against West Bromwich Albion at home, this was Liverpool at their attacking best with Salah at the centre of it all.

Tasked with marking him down the right flank, Juan Jesus had a nightmare of a game trying to keep up with his pace and movement. It did not help that Roma played a three-man back-line, thereby allowing him more space.

While there was nothing anyone could do about his first goal - there are very few players who can beat Allison with such precision on the shot - his second goal was an exhibition in pace and control. He stayed onside right until Firmino released the ball, and then left the defenders behind in a cloud of dust, before calmly chipping it over the keeper.

It was only after Salah was taken off that Juan Jesus, and Roma as a whole, breathed more freely. And understandably, it was only after that they started pressing Liverpool from the back with Juan Jesus and Fazio.

#2 Roberto Firmino vs Manolas

Firmino has quietly gone under the radar, but still remains Liverpool's most important player

This match is yet another example of Roberto Firmino's how entire season has been - absolutely outstanding but somehow still under Salah's enormous shadow.

It might have been said again and again, but if there is one player without whom the entire Liverpool structure would crumble, it has to be their Brazilian forward. The number of times he tracked back all the way to defend and then arrived just behind Salah and Mane while attacking has to be too much to be believable.

While his goals weren't wonder strikes, they were the exemplification of his ability to turn up at the right place at the right time. It also made things easy that Roma played a ridiculously high line to keep the Liverpool attackers in check.

Firmino made life difficult for Roma's central defender Manolas, who like Juan Jesus, was unable to keep up with the pace of his opponent. When Firmino dropped back to help his midfield, Manolas was often in two minds - whether to mark his man or the space - and this was well exploited by Mane who cut into the centre.

If La Magica want a repeat of their quarterfinals heroics, they need to switch to a new system of defending and one that doesn't afford so much space in the final third. Another thing would be to stop trying to catch the Reds with an offside trap. Their attackers are far too clever and far too fast to be bogged down by that.

#3 Edin Dzeko vs Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren

Edin Dzeko was the chief architect of Roma's dramatic change of fortunes in the closing minutes

A lot rested on Liverpool's centre-back combination going into the match, as they had to come up against one of the best headers of the ball in the modern game and Liverpool's weakness in set-pieces was what Roma would have looked to exploit.

While they succeeded for the most part, it is hard not to think that Dzeko did get the best of them when the final whistle was blown. After Dejan Lovren's mistake where he failed to head the ball away, the ball landed kindly at Dzeko's feet and he opened the scoring for the visitors with a sharp finish to the near post.

This is precisely the reason why the tie is still far from over despite a 3 goal deficit - Liverpool's unfortunate knack to self-implode in defence and Edin Dzeko's uncanny knack of scoring when needed.

AS Roma started the match very well, even going on to dominate the first 20 odd minutes of the game before Liverpool took control. Roma also managed to finish the game very well in the final 10 minutes.

Any chance of a miracle in the second leg will depend on them counting on the man who made it possible - Edin Dzeko. That and hoping Liverpool slip into one of their defensive error modes.