Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, says two late goals from Roma do not make a “big difference” to their Champions League semi-final, and is confident his side can follow their 5-2 first-leg win with another victory in Italy next week.
The Reds led 5-0 with Mohamed Salah scoring twice and assisting two more, but Roma scored twice in the last 10 minutes to give themselves hope.
“What I learned is that we can win the second game as well even when it will be different, but Roma need to score goals against us,” said Klopp.
Liverpool were breathtaking at times at Anfield, and led through two goals each from Salah and Roberto Firmino, and another from Sadio Mane.
Edin Dzeko and Diego Perotti scored Roma’s goals in the final nine minutes.
The Italian side came from 4-1 down after the first leg of their quarter-final with Barcelona to win 3-0 at the Stadio Olimpico and go through on away goals.
“It should not sound like a warning or whatever but we are not Barcelona,” said Klopp.
“Barcelona is one of the two or three best teams in the world and they won so many things in the last few years and we didn’t.
“We will fight with all we have for that result again. It is so much better than I could have expected before the game but now in the moment I feel the two goals we conceded.
“We have to work again in Rome – that is no problem. There would have been work for us to do if we had won 5-0 because Roma would have tried everything to strike back anyway so that is not a big difference.”
The second leg of the tie is next Wednesday, 2nd May