Roma made a game out of it. Hearts were in Liverpool fans' mouths as Roma stormed back. Dzeko's nice finish. Nainggolan's wonder goal. Klavan's handball. None of that mattered by the time the final whistle blew. Liverpool had lost the battle but won the war. Roma were defeated. A date with destiny awaits in Kiev.
Game Story:
Roma started the game very much up for the task. The opening punches were thrown by the home side and Liverpool had to battle with their back up on the ropes for a stretch. That changed when Radja Nainggolan committed a major back-passing error giving the ball straight to Bobby Firmino, who sent Sadio Mane through, and he finished coolly with a left foot. The first away goal was snatched up by the Reds and massive pressure was lifted off their side. That changed just six minutes later when Dejan Lovren attempted to clear the ball out of his own box. The ball instead found James Milner's face and a comedic own goal followed as the ball ricocheted off Milner's face into the net. Perhaps Roma had found a lifeline?
No they had not. Ten minutes after that, Gini Wijnaldum (known for not scoring away) headed home a Virgil van Dijk flick-on and suddenly the Reds had equaled Roma's away goal tally. A 7-3 scoreline brought a bit of added comfort, the Reds could concede three times and still walk out of Italy as Champions League finalists. In fact, this is indeed what they did. But from after the goal until Eden Dzeko's match-tying goal in the 52nd, things were rather quiet other than the occasional chance or counter by either team.
For the second Roman goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold was beaten by Stephan El Shaawary who uncorked a nice shot which was saved by Loris Karius. Unfortunately, the shot was parried straight at the big Bosnian and a nice finish provided another flicker of hope. This one was sustained, but it took a while for the next breakthrough when Nainggolan unleashed a nice strike from outside the box that left Karius stuck in the center of net. Cengiz Under drew a handball from Ragnar Klavan to give Nainggolan a shot at the penalty spot and the Belgian converted again. However this was the last kick of the game. Roma's comeback was valiant, but not enough. The Reds are going to Kiev.
How This Happened:
Roma clearly set out from the first minute with hopes to snag an early goal as they did against Barcelona. Unfortunately for them, you simply cannot make mistakes against this Liverpool team and their first was immediately punished. The goal was the top highlight of a magical day for Sadio Mane. The wide-man was absolutely stunning to watch as he skirted past defenders as if they were not even there. Mane was certainly man of the match and his impact was clear to everyone involved and everyone watching. The back four of Roma played well, Manolas and Fazio stood strong against against Salah and Firmino, but this was Mane's game and he ran it well.
Roma certainly looked good chasing the game: El Shaarawy proved to be a bit more than Alexander-Arnold and Lovren could handle at times with his exceptional pace and Nainggolan's brace certainly showed off his impact on the game, but there has to be credit to the Liverpool keeper Karius who made some important claims and saves in the game. The four goal line is harsh on him: one was a comical own goal, the next came after he'd saved the first effort, the third was a stunning effort that, to be fair, he misjudged, and the fourth was a penalty, but Karius was massively integral in the Reds' efforts to slow the game down and take the air out of the stadium. Compared to Alisson, who at times looked very poor (i.e., coming out of his box and trying and failing to fend off Mo Salah), Karius seemed to be the better keeper over the two legs and deserves massive credit.
Andy Robertson has proven to be an absolute bargain for the Reds and today he proved it even further. Five years ago, the left-back was playing in the Scottish third division with Queen's Park. Today, he is one of the key ingredients of this Liverpool team. His crosses, defending, relentless pressing, and, of course, his runs down the wing have made him an instant fan favorite in a position where Liverpool have lacked a key man since John Arne Riise. Robertson took a Jordan Henderson pass, kept in just barely in, sped past Alessandro Florenzi, and beat Kostolas Manolas where Alisson finally saved the shot from Mane from Robertson's pass. His run deserved an assist but Liverpool fans don't need to assist footnote to appreciate that play. They love their Scotsman. And their Scotsman is loving his time here.
Final Thoughts:
It truly does not get bigger than facing Real Madrid in the Champions League final. A band of merry misfits: an eight-and-a-half pound left-back from Hull, and 19-year-old Scouser, a center-back who supposedly deserved to be cast aside in October, and the odd man out, the world's most expensive defender, make up the back line who will attempt to stop perhaps one of the greatest players in the sport's history. People can point to the four goals let in and note how seemingly the switch to a back five when Ragnar Klavan is subbed on marks for the opponent a glimmer of hope, but now is not the time for critical analysis. We can do that in the weeks leading up to the biggest match in over ten years for this glorious football club. Tonight is a time to celebrate the good. To celebrate. To support and believe. Allez allez allez.
For the second Roman goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold was beaten by Stephan El Shaawary who uncorked a nice shot which was saved by Loris Karius. Unfortunately, the shot was parried straight at the big Bosnian and a nice finish provided another flicker of hope. This one was sustained, but it took a while for the next breakthrough when Nainggolan unleashed a nice strike from outside the box that left Karius stuck in the center of net. Cengiz Under drew a handball from Ragnar Klavan to give Nainggolan a shot at the penalty spot and the Belgian converted again. However this was the last kick of the game. Roma's comeback was valiant, but not enough. The Reds are going to Kiev.
How This Happened:
Roma clearly set out from the first minute with hopes to snag an early goal as they did against Barcelona. Unfortunately for them, you simply cannot make mistakes against this Liverpool team and their first was immediately punished. The goal was the top highlight of a magical day for Sadio Mane. The wide-man was absolutely stunning to watch as he skirted past defenders as if they were not even there. Mane was certainly man of the match and his impact was clear to everyone involved and everyone watching. The back four of Roma played well, Manolas and Fazio stood strong against against Salah and Firmino, but this was Mane's game and he ran it well.
Roma certainly looked good chasing the game: El Shaarawy proved to be a bit more than Alexander-Arnold and Lovren could handle at times with his exceptional pace and Nainggolan's brace certainly showed off his impact on the game, but there has to be credit to the Liverpool keeper Karius who made some important claims and saves in the game. The four goal line is harsh on him: one was a comical own goal, the next came after he'd saved the first effort, the third was a stunning effort that, to be fair, he misjudged, and the fourth was a penalty, but Karius was massively integral in the Reds' efforts to slow the game down and take the air out of the stadium. Compared to Alisson, who at times looked very poor (i.e., coming out of his box and trying and failing to fend off Mo Salah), Karius seemed to be the better keeper over the two legs and deserves massive credit.
Andy Robertson has proven to be an absolute bargain for the Reds and today he proved it even further. Five years ago, the left-back was playing in the Scottish third division with Queen's Park. Today, he is one of the key ingredients of this Liverpool team. His crosses, defending, relentless pressing, and, of course, his runs down the wing have made him an instant fan favorite in a position where Liverpool have lacked a key man since John Arne Riise. Robertson took a Jordan Henderson pass, kept in just barely in, sped past Alessandro Florenzi, and beat Kostolas Manolas where Alisson finally saved the shot from Mane from Robertson's pass. His run deserved an assist but Liverpool fans don't need to assist footnote to appreciate that play. They love their Scotsman. And their Scotsman is loving his time here.
Final Thoughts:
It truly does not get bigger than facing Real Madrid in the Champions League final. A band of merry misfits: an eight-and-a-half pound left-back from Hull, and 19-year-old Scouser, a center-back who supposedly deserved to be cast aside in October, and the odd man out, the world's most expensive defender, make up the back line who will attempt to stop perhaps one of the greatest players in the sport's history. People can point to the four goals let in and note how seemingly the switch to a back five when Ragnar Klavan is subbed on marks for the opponent a glimmer of hope, but now is not the time for critical analysis. We can do that in the weeks leading up to the biggest match in over ten years for this glorious football club. Tonight is a time to celebrate the good. To celebrate. To support and believe. Allez allez allez.
Comments
Post a Comment