The Champions League semifinals will kick off on April 24th as Liverpool hosts Roma in the first leg of their tie. Both of these teams were underdogs to get here after the last round, and this figures to be a entertaining matchup, starting with the first leg.
What To Know About Roma
Roma got goals from Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi from the penalty spot, and Kostas Manolas in the 82nd minute of a 3-0 win over Barcelona. Roma fell 4-1 at Barcelona, but their away goal was enough to push them through to the next round and Dzeko has six goals to lead Roma, including two against Barcelona. He was excellent over both legs, but the entire team was great in the second-leg win. Roma played in a back three and kept Lionel Messi quiet, which is an accomplishment in itself. De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman dominated the middle of the field against a Barcelona team that is known for running the show in midfield. It was a phenomenal team performance from Roma, who still remain a very inconsistent side. However, when they play to their potential, Roma can play with anyone in the world.
What To Know About Liverpool
Liverpool continued their dominance over Manchester City with a 2-1 away win, meaning that they won the tie with an aggregate score of 5-1. Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino scored in the second half to give Liverpool the win, their third victory of the season against Manchester City, who ran away with the Premier League title and were favored in this tie as well. Salah and Firmino both have eight goals in the Champions League, while Sadio Mane has seven and this attacking trio might be the best in Europe; they’re definitely playing like it right now. However, Liverpool does still have some questions at the back and even Virgil Van Dijk has his moments in defense. They got off a bit lucky in the first half when Manchester City were pressing and with better finishing, they might have scored two goals. Liverpool has improved at the back since Van Dijk came along, but they still have some way to go.
Outlook
Liverpool are favored at home at 1.50, while Roma comes in at 6.00 and a draw is listed at 4.50. Liverpool has two wins and two draws in five meetings with Roma, who lost to Liverpool on penalties in the 1984 UEFA Cup final, then Liverpool won 2-1 over two legs in the 2001 UEFA Cup quarterfinals. Finally, Liverpool won 2-0 at home and draw 0-0 in Roma in the second group stage of the 2002 Champions League. This will be a huge game for Salah, who spent two seasons at Roma before transferring to Liverpool, and he has to keep his nerves in check to have a good game. Roma has to control midfield like they did against Barcelona, because Liverpool’s midfield isn’t nearly that good. Liverpool’s defense could also have their hands full with Dzeko, but Roma’s back line should be focused on slowing down Salah, Mane and Firmino. If Liverpool get out to a hot start, watch out.
Champions League Betting Pick: Liverpool
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