'Roma need to score against us and we are not Barcelona’

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp warns that his team will face a backlash from Roma in the second leg of the semifinal tie in Rome and suggests that his team will work hard to get a result because Liverpool have not won as much as Barcelona in the last few years.

A three-goal advantage from the first-leg is not a guarantee that Liverpool will go through to the final especially after what happened in the Champions League’s recent past.

Liverpool are not no stranger to coming back from three goals down. One of their most memorable European nights saw them come back from three goals down at half time to win on penalties against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul. More recently, Sevilla drew against Liverpool in the group stage game, coming back from three goals down to draw the match.

The most recent example, one that made Klopp issue a warning was when Roma won 3-0 against Barca after being defeated 4-1 in the first leg.

“We have to work again in Rome, that is no problem. There would have been work to do if we won 5-0 because Roma would do everything to strike back. What I learned tonight is that we can win the second leg too. Roma need to score against us and we are not Barcelona. Barcelona is one of the two or three best teams in the world and won so many things in the last few years. We didn’t so we will fight with all we have for the result,” Klopp said.

It was not a dig at Barcelona but Klopp would be confident that his side can score goals and even get a win at Rome given their Champions League goal-scoring prowess this season.

Klopp’s Liverpool have scored 38 Champions League goals this season -- 11 more than PSG who are the second highest scorers. The front three of Mohamad Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have scored a combined total of 23 goals in the Champions League this season.

Salah has been having an outstanding season and last night he staked his claim as a serious contender for the year’s Ballon d’or by scoring two and assisting two goals. Talking about Salah’s wonderful performance, Klopp said: “The first goal is just a genius strike, he scored already a few like this which makes clear it is no coincidence. The second is brilliant play, Bobby Firmino between the lines and he makes the pass and then Mo makes the other two goals.”

Roma however made a statement by scoring the two away goals which means the tie is not entirely over. Their coach Eusebio Di Francesco said: “Let me remind you once again the tie is not over, and we have proved it,” the manager said. “We have shown we can come back. We scored three goals at home against Barcelona, so we can do it. If any of my players does not believe we can win, they can stay away from the second leg.”