Roma vs Liverpool: Player Ratings

Score: Roma 4-2 Liverpool

Aggregate: Roma 6-7 Liverpool

One of the most ludicrously entertaining ties in Champions League history ended 6-7 on aggregate for Liverpool - a victory brought about by their half-hour blitzkrieg at Anfield. The return leg at the Olimpico was dominated by Roma but Liverpool got the result they were looking for, and in the end, that's what matters

We rate the performances of the individuals in relation to the game at hand, but also keeping the wider context in mind.

Roma

Alisson has no chance with Mane's superb shot

GK: Alisson Becker - 6/10

Couldn't have done much about the two finishes that were coolly tucked past him - and had little else to (apart from a decent save of Mane late in the first half).. but gets points deducted for having induced a collective cardiac arrest in the Olimpico trying - and almost failing - to dribble his way past Mohamed Salah at the edge of his own area.

RB: Alessandro Florenzi - 5/10

Was ripped apart by Mane and Firmino for the first goal - hardly his fault - but was decent enough at the back. Had a couple of his trademark long-rangers but just couldn't find the target. His usually excellent crossing was poor today.

CB: Kostas Manolas - 6/10

Like his mates in the back four, he had little do all night except for bursts of random Liverpool attacks - and did well to stop most of them with a healthy mixture of fifty-fifty challenges, do-or-die blocks, and neat interceptions. Was, though, lucky to escape conceding a penalty early on when he unceremoniously shoved Sadio Mane over in the box.

CB: Federico Fazio - 7/10

Kept Salah all day - and this season's that's not been the easiest thing in the world to do. Didn't do much wrong and was forceful in moving the ball forward with intent. Read above for what he was up to all night (except for the penalty incident - Fazio was much cleaner in his tackling)

LB: Aleksander Kolarov - 5/10

Roughed up Mohamed Salah at every opportunity - getting plenty of love for it from the Olimpico faithful in the process - but was unusually errant moving forward. He'll be happy with his defending, and his energy.. but his usually reliable left peg deserted him on occasion and that's just not acceptable

RCM: Lorenzo Pellegrini (subbed off 53') - 6/10

His energy and dynamism helped Roma heap on early pressure on a nervous Liverpool backline, but once the 2nd Liverpudlian goal went in he (along with most of his teammates to be fair) allowed his head to drop and was never really the same influence post that.

CM: Daniele de Rossi (subbed off 69') - 8/10

Was imperious in midfield, running the show with that clever mix of metronomic passing and deep, searching balls. One particular ball into Under's feet inside the box (the Turk mis-timed his shot) deserves to be played over and over again in the mind's eye - and twitter - but as has been the story of his career, his brilliance will be forgotten in the overall context of the game.

LCM: Radja Nainggolan - 5/10

A loose pass that allowed Liverpool to sink hearts with the opening goal, horribly miscued skiers, delightful teasing crosses into the box from across the box, a smack from outside the box that left Karius with no chance and one of the most powerfully hit penalties you'll ever see to close it all out. Radja Nainggolan had a rather eventful night!

That loose pass, though. The stuff of nightmares.

RW: Patrick Schick - 6/10

The young Czech striker started slowly but slowly started showing the watching world what the fuss was about. Was full of clever, direct, running, incessant shooting and continued to combine well with Edin Dzeko - but his finishing was a touch of the mark and he'll look to learn from this day... the value of taking your chances.

CF: Edin Dzeko - 7/10

The big Bosnian was a relentless migraine for the Liverpool defence, bullying the across the area, killing passes dead with ridiculously velvet first-touches, turning and shooting, running and shooting, standing and shooting at every given opportunity. His goal was a well taken one, and he was unlucky not to get a penalty - but he'll know in the back of his head that had he been on his A-game (in terms of finishing), this tie would have been Roma's.

LW: Stephane El Sharaawy (subbed off 75') - 6/10

The Original 'Pharoah' showed glimpses of his undoubted talent but was, for the most part, frustrating - the story of his career. Got in behind Trent Alexander-Arnold plenty of times in the opening exchanges and fashioned many a chance but as the game wore his influenced kept waning. As the ever-astute Sunaadh Sagar noted, El Sharaawy looked confused as to what exactly his role was and that showed in the output

Substitutes

Cengiz Under (subbed on 53') - 5/10

The young Turk, so disappointing in Anfield, wasn't much better tonight. Got into the right places - but missed too many presentable chances. Was lucky to win a penalty in the dying minutes after miscontrolling a beautiful ball inside the box, right in front of the keeper.

Maxime Gonalons (subbed on 69') - 4/10

Didn't do much at all.

Mirko Antonucci (subbed on 75') - 5/10

The 19-year-old Romand was thrown on as a hail mary by Eusebio Di Francesco but didn't really have the time to settle down and show the world what he's capable of.

Liverpool

GK: Loris Karius - 7/10

The German was superb on the night - pulling off some solid saves, handling high balls with a rare confidence and generally being the calmest being on the field. He was, though, lucky to not concede a penalty - he brought down Dzeko in the area, but the linesman adjudged, wrongly, that the Bosnian had been offside moments before whilst collecting the ball.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (subbed off 90' + 3') - 4/10

Was found out far too many times for it to be called accidental - El Sharaawy, Kolarov and Pellegrini tormented the young lad taking it in turns to run in behind him.. he did well on occasion but at this stage of elite competition that's just not good enough. Was extremely lucky to escape a penalty - and a sure red card - when he handled El Sharaawy's goalbound shot away for a corner. (Inexplicably none of the Romans appealed)

CB: Dejan Lovren - 6/10

The much-maligned centre-back was decent on the night, careful in possession, strong off it, committing very few errors of judgment. He did smack a clearance straight into Milner's head (the own goal), but it'd take an exceptionally cruel man to isolate and blame Lovren for that one.

CB: Virgil Van Dijk - 6/10

Van Dijk was a massive presence in the box, and his sheer physicality at times threw Dzeko off - but he's got to marshal his defense much better and is especially culpable of being nervous in the closing minutes.

LB: Andrew Robertson - 7/10

Was absolutely brilliant going forward - almost set up a goal with a lung-bursting run down the left-touchline - but was vulnerable at the back. Schick's inclination to cut in from the right and stay there, though, played into his hands and though he was more troubled after Under's introduction, was arguably Liverpool's best defender on the night

RCM: Georginio Wijnaldum - 7/10

A first away goal in five years (all competitions, all clubs, and country) gave Liverpool the cushion they needed to sit back and relax for a bit - and eventually proved the difference over the two ties. If that doesn't count for something, I don't know what can.

CM: Jordan Henderson - 4/10

Apart from a superbly weighted ball out to Robertson, can't really remember Jordan Henderson doing anything on that football field tonight. As invisible in this second leg as he was immense in the first

LCM: James Milner - 8/10

He did open the scoring for Roma on the night, but there was very little he knew about it. Played deep for most of the game, almost playing as a third centre-back, a sweeper if you will, and defended with his life. Still managed to have the energy to make some superb, intelligent, lung-bursting runs forward to support the increasingly isolated Mohamed Salah

RW: Mohamed Salah - 6/10

His mere presence at the back ensured that at least two Roman defenders were out of contention in terms of joining in on the battering at the other end. Didn't do much with the ball - well marked by Fazio and Kolarov - and was one of his quieter games this season.

CF: Roberto Firmino (subbed off 87') - 8/10

Roberto Firmino was everywhere. On the right, on the left, down the middle, in the centre of midfield. Everywhere. Celebrated for his determination, defending skills, and never-say-die attitude, his calm pass to Mane to set up the first goal showcased his excellent footballing brain at its best.

LW: Sadio Mane (subbed off 83') - 9/10

The Senegalese speedster was absolutely brilliant on the night - his first finish was impossibly cool and sucked the life of out of some threatening early Roman momentum, and he was a constant threat on the left, keeping Florenzi (and his superb right foot) pegged back and Manolas on his toes constantly. Like his mate Firmino, Mane never stopped running

Substitutes

Ragnar Klavan (subbed on 83') - 6/10

Came on to shore up the defence and did an admirable enough job of it. Was supremely unlucky to concede the late, late penalty

Dominic Solanke (subbed on 87') - 2/10

Did nothing but earn himself a yellow card for a silly foul

Nathaniel Clyne (subbed on 90' + 3') - 6/10

Brought on to waste time. His change wasted at the very least 30 seconds of injury time... and that in itself is worth a 6/10 performance for Liverpool

Edited by Anirudh Menon