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In September, when the Champions League season started nobody could have predicted that Liverpool and Roma would be fighting for a spot in Kiev. The two sides have shocked the football fraternity, but what lies ahead a strong test of character.
For the first time in 34 years, Roma have reached the Champions League semifinals. On their hand is the mighty Jurgen Klopp army led by the former Roma talisman Mohamed Salah.
Both the teams qualified in the semi-final by knocking out two favourites of the tournament, and now will they will be looking to clinch a berth in the finale of this season's Champions League.
Let us look at the five main factors that could decide the fate of the tie.
#5 Mohamed Salah vs the Roma defence
Roma completed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Champions League when they beat Barcelona on away goals. One focal point to observe was how they stopped Lionel Messi over the two legs. Mo Salah will be a similar test.
In the first leg, Roma played with a 4-3-3 setup, but in the second leg, it was a 3-4-3 formation which did the damage to Barcelona. This formation kind of nullified Messi, and did the trick for Roma. They can have a similar approach against Mo Salah. Kostas Manolas and Federico Fazio will have a tough time against the Egyptian. The positioning of the defenders will be critical as the team from Rome love to keep a high defensive line when they are attacking.
The recently crowned PFA player of the year will be having an emotional tie as he would playing his former club in the semi-finals. He recently equalled the record for the most number goals in a Premier League season.
He has already scored 41 goals this season but all of this would be irrelevant if he does not help his team get past Roma and reach the finals. The Egyptian star has been in superb form, he will be looking to score against his former team and knock them out of the Champions League.
#4 Edin Dzeko vs Virgil van Dijk
The Bosnian striker has failed to replicate last his season's form but has managed to score 20 goals which is a pretty decent return. He has shown that how important he is for the Roma attack line. His physical presence up front makes it tough for the defenders and he would be looking to make sure that the most expensive defender has a tough time over the two legs.
Since the time he was signed from Southampton, van Dijk has completely transformed Liverpool's defence. The quality of Liverpool's defence has improved, and he is the main reason behind it as he has added more calmness and authority at the back. Van Dijk had two great games against Manchester City in the quarterfinals, as they were restricted to only a single goal over the two legs.
The physical battle between these two looks very gripping, as both of them would be looking to outsmart each other and give their team an edge over the other in the two-legged encounter.
#3 Roberto Firmino vs Alisson Becker
The most underrated striker in Europe clashes with the most underrated goalkeeper in Europe. The battle between these two Brazilians will be fascinating to watch. The performance of these two players has been instrumental in bringing their teams to the semi-finals.
Alisson Becker has kept 15 clean sheets in the Serie A this season. His performances have established him as one of the best 'keepers in Europe this season. His match-winning saves have brought interest from the best clubs of Europe. Roma have also not conceded a single goal at home in the Champions League this season. These stats show how good Alisson has been this campaign.
Roberto Firmino is not the conventional number 9 who plays as a centre-forward, he drops back to help the midfield and helps in the build-up play. He has found the net 25 times this season and will be looking to add more to his tally of goals this season.
It would be interesting to see how this battle turns out to be, as the two Selecao teammates collide for a place in the finals.
#2 Radja Nainggolan vs Jordan Henderson
Radja Nainggolan and Jordan Henderson are key for their respective teams. Nainggolan is one of the best midfielders in the Serie A and has made a name for himself over the past few years. On his day he can compete with the best. A quintessential box to box midfielder, he has everything that you'd need from a midfielder; a wide range of passing, the drive to go forward and the tackling ability.
The matches of this high calibre are always won in the midfield. The midfield determines the what kind of supply is given to the forwards as well as what kind of a link is established between the defence and the attack.
Off late, Jordan Henderson has started to perform against the big teams. His performance against Manchester City was incredible, as he worked out good passes, got his tackles spot on and made it difficult for Pep Guardiola's team to play their quick passing game. Liverpool fans will expect him to replicate his high-intensity performance against the team from Rome.
#1 Jurgen Klopp vs Eusebio Di Francesco
Liverpool are expected to start with a 4-3-3 formation and they'll be hoping for a performance that will knock out Roma in the first leg itself. However, it's dangerous to expect too much after that whirlwind first leg against Manchester City.
Jurgen Klopp is known for his high pressing strategies and the amount of freedom he gives to his attacking players. A Klopp side always press the ball high up the field and stop the opposing defence from playing the ball to the midfield.
We can say that Liverpool will be favourites for this tie, but Klopp won't underestimate Roma after their performance against Barcelona.
Di Francesco, on the other hand, has surpassed all expectations, his team has done things no one expected them to do. The tactical masterclass in the second leg against Barcelona is an example of his Di Francesco's potential. He played a 4-3-3 in the first leg against Barcelona but in the second leg, he shifted to a 3-5-2 (which played as a 3-4-3).
The midfield of Nainggolan, Strootman and De Rossi contained the ball really well, and this helped in nullifying the threat which was posed by Leo Messi. He would be looking to use Edin Dzeko as a key player to impose a threat on the Liverpool defence because of his qualities in set-piece situations and ability to hold up play.
Will Klopp and his team go to the Champions League final or will the Giallorossi stop their march? The encounter over the two legs will determine who will qualify for the final of the Champions League.
