LIVERPOOL DODGE HEAVYWEIGHTS
Luck of the draw favours Klopp’s men with Roma as Real Madrid face Bayern
Liverpool have been handed a golden opportunity to reach their first Champions League final in 11 years after they were handed a semi-final against Roma.
The Italians were the surprise package of the quarter-finals after shocking Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico, coming back from 4-1 on aggregate to knock out the five-time winners, but they still present the easiest draw for the Premier League side.
As a result, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, two heavyweights of the competition, will slug it out for the other spot in May’s final as they renew their formidable rivalry.
Jurgen Klopp’s men face the Serie A side at Anfield for the first leg on April 24, before travelling to the Italian capital on May 2.
There they will return to the scene of one of their most famous European nights, where they beat Roma in their own back yard in the 1984 European Cup final.
It will also see Liverpool talisman Mo Salah come up against his old club.
The Egyptian left Roma for Merseyside in the summer, having spent two seasons and scored 34 goals for the Giallorossi.
Liverpool reached the semi-finals after beating Manchester City in an all-Premier League quarter-final.
Klopp’s men seized control of the tie thanks to a 3-0 first-leg victory, with the Reds blowing away Pep Guardiola’s side in an incredible 30-minute spell in the first half. They then fought off an onslaught at the Etihad to win 2-1 and confirm a 5-1 victory on aggregate.
Roma’s quarter-final feats were even more impressive as they overturned a first-leg mauling at the Nou Camp to dump out one of the tournament’s favourites.
Goals from Edin Dzeko, Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas ensured an unforgettable night as they beat Barcelona 3-0 to reach the last four on away goals.
Klopp said: “But if anybody thinks this is the easiest draw then I cannot help this person — they obviously didn’t see both games against Barcelona.”
The final awaits the winner of the tie, with the Champions League showpiece taking place at the NSC Olimpiyskiy in Kiev, Ukraine, on May 26.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been drawn against Atletico Madrid in the last four of the Europa League.
Arsene Wenger’s side reached the semi-final stage after beating CSKA Moscow over two legs. They won the match at the Emirates 4-1 before a 2-2 draw in Russia on Thursday night.
The other fixture involves Marseille and Red Bull Salzburg.
Arsenal have been drawn as the home team in their semi-final, which means the first leg will be at the Emirates.
That game will take place on April 26, while the return leg will be at the Wanda Metropolitano on May 3.
Atletico progressed at the expense of Sporting Lisbon, despite a 1-0 defeat in Portugal on Thursday evening.
It is arguably the toughest drawn the Gunners could have been handed at this stage of the competition.
Speaking after Thursday’s match in Moscow, when at one point Arsenal had been a goal away from elimination, Wenger admitted he would prefer to avoid Atletico.
“Looking at all the results as a whole picture in Europe this week, you would say that teams have become closer and the games are very open and everything is possible in every single game,” Wenger said.