AS Roma v Liverpool: Live matchday blog
Liverpool are through to the Champions League final with a 7-6 aggregate victory over AS Roma.
The Reds lost 4-2 on the night in Italy, but they'd done enough to make it to Kiev and set up a final meeting with Real Madrid.
So, about that final...
Liverpool will play Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Kiev on Saturday May 26.
It's the first time since 2007 the Reds have reached this stage of the tournament - and the eighth overall.
Full Time
LIVERPOOL ARE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!
Phew!
Goal
Nainggolan blasts in the penalty.
Penalty to Roma
Klavan is penalised for handball...
Substitution
Alexander-Arnold goes off, Clyne comes on.
Three minutes of added time to be played...
Goal
Radja Nainggolan
Roma have some late hope of pulling off a comeback as Nainggolan cracks one in off both posts to make the aggregate score now 7-5 to Liverpool.
Two more for the home team would see this one into extra time.
Yellow Card
A yellow card each for Robertson and Manolos after an altercation.
Substitution
Sadio Mane makes way for Ragnar Klavan.
Dzeko gets behind Alexander-Arnold, but his low drive is thwarted by the boot of Karius.
Shick archs one just over from the edge of the area.
Yellow Card
Florenzi booked for a late one on Mane.
Substitution
El Shaarawy goes off and Antonucci comes on for the home team.
Substitution
De Rossi off, Gonalons on
Firmino shoots from a tight angle from Salah's reverse pass, but Alisson manages to block.
More danger in the Liverpool defence as a low cross into the six-yard box is scrambled away before Dzeko shoots wide on the spin.
Chance
Great opportunity for Roma and the ball somehow doesn't hit the back of the Liverpool net as Alexander-Arnold blocks from El Shaarawy at point-blank range.
Under escapes into space inside the Reds box to meet Nainggolan's ball over the top. He gets a toe to it to prod towards goal, but Karius saves on the line
Dzeko loops a header well over Karius' goal from a Kolarov free-kick delivery from the left.
Goal
Edin Dzeko
Roma level up the scoreline on the night and make the aggregate 7-4 now.
Dzeko is the scorer, tapping in after El Shaarawy had an effort saved by Karius following a powerful surge into the area.
Kick-Off
And we're off again...
A big, big 45 minutes ahead.
Come on you Reds!
Half Time
Reds lead at the break
Goals from Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum have given Liverpool a 2-1 lead on the night - and a 7-3 advantage on aggregate - over AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico.
So far, so good for the Reds.
Pellegrini tries to shoot from the most audacious of angles from the resulting free-kick, but it's never troubling Karius' goal.
Yellow Card
Lovren goes into the book after it's adjudged he fouled El Shaarawy on the left.
The ball breaks for Florenzi on the corner of the box, but he skews his half-volley well wide of the target.
Salah is sent bounding into the area by Firmino's pass on the counter, but his eventual effort is blocked by Fazio.
Chance
El Shaarawy navigates his way into a shooting position 20 yards out and lets fly. It takes a touch off a Liverpool defender and makes its way towards the bottom corner, where it cannons against the base of the post and to safety.
Goal
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GINI WIJNALDUM!!!!!!!!!!
Liverpool are back in front on the night - and they have that crucial second away goal.
It comes via the head of Wijnaldum, who meets Dzeko's wayward header at a Reds corner and nods in from close range.
His first ever goal away from Anfield for the club - and more importantly, it's now 7-3 on aggregate!
Chance!
Brilliant run from Robertson into the area. He pulls it back for Mane, who close-range side-foot is saved by Alisson.
Mane tries his luck with a curler from the edge of the box... wide.
Own Goal
Own goal - James Milner
Some fortune for AS Roma - and total misfortune for Milner.
Lovren's attempted clearance from inside the six-yard box cannons against the head of the Reds No.7 and loops beyond Karius.
Salah takes aim and bends one at goal, but it's comfortable for Alisson.
Liverpool pour forward again and Salah slips in Wijnaldum, but he's sent crashing to the ground in the box by Manolas... no penalty.
Goal
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!! SADIO MANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!!!!! That's the start we wanted! That's the start we needed! And Sadio Mane provides it!
Firmino pounces on a wayward ball in midfield, motors forward and slides in our No.19, who takes a touch and then calmly dispatches beyond Alisson.
6-2 on aggregate to Liverpool now.
GET IN!
Mane goes to ground under the challenge of Manolas after chesting down Alexander-Arnold's ball forward in the area... the referee isn't interested.
Florenzi takes aim from 25 yards and arrows an effort across goal and wide of Karius' right-hand post.
The first corner of the night falls Roma's way, but Liverpool deal with the danger.
Early half chance as Kolarov nudges the ball in the direction of Dzeko, but he can't meet it eight yards out.
Kick-Off
And we're off...
Here we go, then. Finally.
Come on you Reds.
The teams are out and the noise levels are incredible inside the Stadio Olimpico.
The pocket of Reds fans in the corner are more than making themselves heard, though.
Warming up...
The opposition
Three changes for Roma from last week's first leg at Anfield...
TEAM NEWS – FOUR CHANGES FOR LFC
The teamsheet has landed and it signals four changes to Liverpool's line-up for this decider in Rome…
Liverpool: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Moreno, Ings, Solanke, Woodburn.
We're in the company of greatness...
A tale of two cities - part two...
Are you ready?
The Stadio Olimpico is.
Superb support from the travelling Reds - as always.
Inside the Stadio Olimpico...
Odds and ends
Here's how BETVICTOR see things going tonight...
Roma 13/8
Draw 3/1
Liverpool 6/4
The warm-up
Liverpool's players familiarised themselves with new surroundings as they trained at the Stadio Olimpico yesterday evening.
You can rewatch the session on LFCTV GO below.
Legend-spotting
Former Liverpool midfielder and Champions League hero Vladimir Smicer has also been seen taking in the sights of Rome in the build-up to today's game.
Let's hope he's a good luck charm.
Out and about
Our roving reporters James Carroll and Chris Shaw have seen plenty of Reds enjoying themselves around Rome pre-match.
Some nice banners on show, too.
A reminder
Take an enjoyable look back at the Reds' magnificent 5-2 first-leg win over AS Roma below.
'We are the lucky guys'
Jürgen Klopp has been discussing the strides Mohamed Salah has taken since his summer move to Liverpool, and he seems pretty pleased to have the Egyptian on the books.
“He has matured. He got confidence here. He came from Chelsea to Florence and played a good season, not as good as a season at Rome, and then he grew up and is now the player he is,” he said.
“We are the lucky guys who have him now in the team, that’s how it is. It’s not that I would’ve explained to him exactly how to score goals, he knew that before already, but each striker in the world doesn’t start as an 18-year-old boy as the goal-getter.”
Numbers game
Some nerve-settling pre-match facts courtesy of club statistician Ged Rea.
- The game pits a Roma team who have not conceded a home goal in the Champions League this season against a Liverpool side who have netted in every single European away fixture of the campaign.
- The Reds have lost just one of their last seven visits to Italy, conceding only twice while keeping six clean sheets in those games.
- Liverpool have never been eliminated from Europe when holding a first-leg advantage of at least three goals (21 previous occasions).
- Jürgen Klopp has suffered defeat in only two of his 26 European games while in charge at Anfield (the best record of any Liverpool manager in Europe over the same number of games from the beginning of their tenure), with the Reds scoring 61 goals in that time.
A boss briefing
Jürgen Klopp was in typically good form as he previewed this evening's game at a press conference yesterday.
You can watch it in full below without paying a penny - all you have to do is register as a free user on LFCTV GO!
Weather
A look to the skies
On your way to Rome? Well you'll be glad to know it's absolutely lovely over there at the moment.
Current temperatures stand at 24 degrees celsius with a touch of cloud if you're doing some sightseeing, though changes are afoot ahead of kick-off.
Although it'll still be warm, there's a good chance of rain when the match gets under way - hopefully that suits the players who are used to the English climate!
Real Madrid... again
The holders of the European Cup await the winners of Liverpool and Roma's tie in the final after edging out Bayern Munich yesterday.
Take a look at how that happened with the YouTube clip embedded below.
Important advice for fans in Rome
Liverpool Football Club has released the following information for fans who have travelled or plan to travel to Roma for tonight's game.
Team news
It's time to take a look at how the two sides are shaping up in terms of fitness and suspensions.
Liverpool absentees
Joe Gomez (knock)
Joel Matip (thigh)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee)
Emre Can (back)
Jordan Henderson (ankle), Trent Alexander-Arnold (dead-leg), Alberto Moreno (knock) and Sadio Mane are all fit.
Roma absentees
Kevin Strootman (rib)
Diego Perotti (ankle)
Gregoire Defrel (ankle)
Rick Karsdrop (knee)
Gini unflustered by final thoughts
Most Liverpool fans are doing all they can to avoid thoughts of reaching the Champions League final, with so much work still to do tonight.
But for Gini Wijnaldum, the possibility of a place in the tournament's showpiece fixture is motivation, not a burden.
“I really think about it. We’re so close, it’s almost impossible not to think about it,” he told Liverpoolfc.com.
“Instead of letting it put pressure on me, I have to see it as motivation – we are just 95 minutes away from the final and we have to do everything to go through. So I use it as motivation instead of pressure.”
Allez, allez, allez
Here we go, then. Liverpool face AS Roma at Stadio Olimpico this evening hoping to book their place in - I can't believe I'm saying this - the Champions League final.
As you'll no doubt already know, the Reds hold a 5-2 aggregate lead thanks to an incredible Anfield performance last week - but it's never a done deal at this level.
Stick with us for build-up to the match, all the action from Italy, and reaction from the players and manager.
Anyone feeling sick yet?