Liverpool, who last reached the final in 2007, breached the visitors’ naively high defensive line five times in the opening 68 minutes at a raucous Anfield.
Another Mohamed Salah masterclass helped Liverpool take control of their Champions League semi-final – but two late Roma away goals gave them a glimmer of hope for the second leg.
Salah, who has now scored 43 goals since his summer move from Roma, scored twice and assisted two other goals. He curled his first into the top corner from the edge of the box – then clipped the ball over Alisson from the edge of the box for a second.
Salah then ran down the right and squared for Sadio Mane to make it 3-0 – before doing the same to set up Roberto Firmino. Firmino then headed in a fifth following James Milner’s corner.
With his side leading 5-0, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp took off Salah – and Roma gave themselves a shot for next week’s return leg at the Stadio Olimpico. First Edin Dzeko lashed home from Radja Nainggolan’s pass – then Diego Perotti put a penalty into the top right corner after Milner handled Nainggolan’s shot.
Roma can take inspiration from the last round when they lost 4-1 in Barcelona but won 3-0 in Rome to go through. The same scoreline this time would take them into the final against Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.
Source: BBC News
