AS Roma – Liverpool (Champions League)
The second finalist of this Champions League 2017-18 is decided at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, with the giallorossi square receiving Liverpool having to overcome the 5-2 match of Anfield.
AS Roma gave one of the biggest surprises of the season by eliminating FC Barcelona in the previous round, going back 4-1 at the Nou Camp. Perhaps because of that lack of security in itself may or may not be in this competition next year, the giallorossi have become clever, winning 4 of the last 5 games in Serie A, yielding only a draw in the Derby of Rome.
In regards to their performance in Europe, the Romans have played a colossal season, being leaders of their group ahead of Chelsea and eliminating Atlético de Madrid, and leaving Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Barcelona in the ditch in the two previous rounds to the current one.
Like during a good part of the season, Rick Karsdor and Gregoire Defrel are injured.
Eleven Probable: Alisson – Fazio, Manolas, Juan Jesus – Di Rossi, Nainggolan, Strootman, Kolarov, Florenzi – Schick, Dzeko.
Liverpool comes to this match after winning 5 of the last 8 official matches, including 5-2 against AS Roma on Tuesday. The whole of Jürgen Klopp has opened a gap of 6 points with Chelsea (the Blues, still with one game less) with two matches to finish the Premier League, so they have been able to relax in the last two trips, yielding ties in his visit to Everton and West Bromwich with the eleven holder plagued by the less usual. Last weekend, he tied at home against Stoke City (0-0).
Third with 72 points in 36 games, the Merseyside team has had a great European season. He finished first in his group ahead of Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor. In the crosses, first the FC Porto, which thrashed in Do Dragao, and then Manchester City, which won in both games, have been his victims to reach this exciting semifinal in which part as a clear favorite.
Without a doubt, the name of the Reds is the Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, whom we already knew for his enormous speed with the ball on his feet, but in this first year with Klopp, he has become the European top scorer for in front of specialists like Messi, Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo or Luís Suárez.
The game is lost by injury Adam Lallana, Joel Matip and Emre Can, while it is likely to return to the call the English international Nathaniel Clyne after a long injury.
Eleven Probable: Karius – Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson – Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner – Salah, Mané, Firmino.
Since 2004, both teams have faced each other only in 4 friendly matches, settled with an English victory in 2004, and three Roman victories in the next three matches (2012, 2014,2016), until the duel at Anfield last Tuesday ( 5-2) In the 1984 final, Liverpool won the title in the penalty shoot-out.
A priori, the English are favorites to pass, but the Romans have already shown their character against Barça. The forecast is that it will be a game of goals, with at least 4 goals scored in the match.
Prediction Today: Over 3.5 goals
Odds: 1.90
